Health Policy Immersion Experience of Doctoral Nursing Students: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Background: In today’s political environment, there is a significant need for healthcare professionals to be aware of health policy and its impact on practice and the population. Nursing, a respected and trusted profession, has a responsibility to increase its awareness and advocacy efforts to ensure practice and execution of responsible and ethical health policy. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of doctoral nursing students' (PhD and DNP) engagement in a week-long immersion trip to Washington, D.C. as a requirement of their mandatory health policy course. This immersion trip encompassed participation in numerous activities that focused on health policy, nursing's role in research, and its presence in the political arena. In addition to describing doctoral nursing students' lived experience, the researchers sought to discover how this experience impacts doctorally-prepared nurses’ political awareness and future interest in health policy. Methods: Data were gathered using Google Forms to obtain doctoral nursing students’ experiences after participating in a week-long Washington, D.C. immersion as part of their mandatory doctoral coursework at a Mid-Atlantic college in the United States. The survey was emailed to 43 PhD and DNP students, of which 30 met the inclusion criteria. Demographic data analysis, in addition to thematic analysis of survey responses with the aid of NVivo, were performed. Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis to describe the experience and impact that the week-long Washington, D.C. immersion had on doctoral nursing students: Knowledge and Understanding of the Political Process, Recognition of the Role Professional Nursing Organizations Play in the Political Arena, Empowerment Through Increased Awareness, and Nursing’s Role as an Advocate for the People Conclusion: Through increased knowledge and awareness of health policy, doctorally-prepared nurses may be more inclined to seek and engage in the political arena and actively participate in advocacy efforts to improve health policy and the healthcare system. Keywords: advocacy, doctoral nursing students, health policy, healthcare system, political process