This tool is designed to help you be successful in this course.
After you review the course material and attend the cohort, you will use this tool to organize your work, answer common questions, and guide you in developing your tasks before submission, and for revisions, if needed.
Remember, this tool is an additional resource and does not replace your course resources, using the CPE record, or attending the cohort.
Clinical Practice Experience (CPE) CAM2 Assessment
Resource Tool
IMPORTANT: Your work in this course is theoretical. You will learn how to advocate for policy change as you review the course materials and complete the CPE, but you will not implement the actions you write about. You will demonstrate your understanding of the importance and process of advocacy through your writing and successful completion of the tasks.
**Before you begin, ensure you set up your OneNote e-portfolio. If you completed D024, you will use the same OneNote e-portfolio for this course – and throughout your MSN program. To construct your OneNote e-portfolio, refer to the video in Course Tips titled The OneNote Portfolio Video and carefully follow all steps in the PowerPoint that accompanies the video. You can also find instructions for setting up your OneNote e-portfolio and a link to the MSN Core Sample e-portfolio in Unit 1, page 7 of your course material. Structure your e-portfolio to resemble the MSN Core Sample and be sure to enter the eleven (11) deliverables from your course CPE Record.
Step 1: CPE – Clinical Practice Experience
You will complete and submit the CAM2 assessment (CPE and OneNote e-portfolio) before beginning the scholarly paper (AWM2). Step 1 includes helpful tips for completing the CPE successfully.
As you start working in the course, begin by reading course materials, starting with Unit 1. Be sure to complete all formative assessments in the course, including the quizzes and self-checks. Understanding the course content is essential to the successful completion of the CPE and Policy Brief Performance Assessments.
Complete the learning checks after each section to identify gaps in your understanding. Then go back to the resources to improve your knowledge as needed. Also, be sure to use the resources linked in the CPE record.
Note: You may be using additional resources outside the course materials to enhance your understanding and application of the course concepts.
Step 1-A: Create a CPE Schedule Table
The purpose of creating a CPE schedule table is to organize and pace your work and anticipate the time needed to complete your activities. This schedule table will help ensure you complete all required activities for the CPE within your course pacing/ completion dates.
The11 deliverables – or evidence that are required to be included in the table – are identified at the very end of Phases I and II on the CPE Record. These deliverables are also listed in your “Task Overview” in Section “B” of the requirements. You may add items to the CPE Schedule table, but the “deliverables” are the only required items. Do not submit your e-portfolio until both Phases I and II and your CPE Record are completed.
An example of a CPE schedule table is provided below and is also in the FAQ document in Course Tips.
Name of Deliverable/Requirement
Estimated Date of Completion
Estimated time to complete
Create a CPE Schedule Table
1/31/2021
30 min.
Advocacy Action Plan Summary
2/4/2021
4 hours
(Etc.)
Note: The CPE schedule table and the CPE Record are two different items. You will use the CPE Record to identify the activities that will be placed on the CPE schedule table. The CPE Record itself needs to have your name, the date all items are completed, and your instructor’s name typed in at the top. The CPE Record is submitted as a separate document (outside of the e-portfolio) at the same time that you submit the link to your OneNote e-portfolio. The CPE record serves as a permanent document that you completed Clinical Practice Experience hours. This is clearly explained in the task instructions, so be sure to review the instructions closely.
Step 1-B: Identify Data to Support a Health Issue
Next, using the weblinks in your CPE record or other credible and reliable sources, identify data that supports a health issue in your community. Use either your county or state. A good place to start searching for this data is the CPE Record where you will find links to use. You might search your county websites at .gov sites, your local or state Health Department sites, or other local resources. You might also search the internet for “health issues in (your) county” or “community assessment for (your) county”. Remember: the health issue you choose MUST have supporting data. If you are not able to locate this data, then you will need to choose a different health issue.
Consider:
What qualifies as a health issue? This could be a specific health issue or health behavior such as a high incidence of COPD, CHF, or obesity; high suicide rate; high rate of alcohol related accidents; high rate of SIDS; high rate of pedestrian/MVA; high rate of smoking; high rate of vaping; high rate of STIs; high rate of low birthweight infants, etc.
In population health, your “patient” is actually defined by a statistic. As an MSN nurse focusing on population health, it is not possible to directly care for each and every individual within that statistic. The focus in population health, therefore, is on improving the “conditions” in the community that are predisposing a specific vulnerable “target” population to the health issue. Now that you identified the health issue, in later steps, you will focus on how to determine and address the “condition” which is a social determinant of the population’s health (SDOH).
Step 1-C : Identify the Target Population
Next, you will identify the specific target population within your community impacted by the health issue you identified in Step1-B. Identify the demographics of the specific target population within your community. This might include statistical data regarding age, race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, language, employment, education level, geographic location, specific health conditions, homeless, etc.
Step 1-D Select an SDOH
Now you will select an SDOH that is impacting your community.
An SDOH is a general, overarching condition that impacts the health and quality of life of people who live in a community. You will use Healthy People 2020 to identify an appropriate SDOH impacting the health issue in your identified target population. Later, you will identify a policy proposal related to this SDOH that will ultimately improve the health issue in your community.
The 5 overarching general categories of SDOHs in Healthy People 2020 are:
Economic stability
Neighborhood and built environment
Health and health care
Social and community context
Education
Although your SDOH will fall into one of the key categories above, you will need to provide a more focused explanation of the specific “condition” in your community that is deficient, lacking, or contributes to the health issue. Examples include:
(Lack of) Availability of resources (healthcare, education, transportation, exercise opportunities, healthy food, etc.)
(Lack of) Public safety
Social Norms/Attitudes
(Lack of) Access to technology
Exposure to toxic substances
Step 1-E : Recommended Policy Change
So, what is meant by “policy change” you might ask? In this context, a policy might be a law or some type of legislative action, a program implemented at the community level, physical or structural changes in a community, or providing resources not otherwise available to community members. Don’t limit yourself to asking for new laws or legislative actions.
Now, you will identify a possible policy change that will improve the SDOH in your target population, with the goal to improve the health issue and health of your community. You can find ideas for policy changes in several sources including the Healthy People and CDC sites linked in your course. You can also search the WGU library and perform an internet search for credible policy ideas supported by data. At this point, identifying a general focus of the policy change is fine. You will identify more specifics to refine this idea later when writing the paper for the AWM2 assessment.
Do not get hung up on the reality of whether or not you think your recommended policy change could actually happen. Imagine you have unlimited funds/resources, and you are seeking an ideal outcome for your target population and community.
Important! Make sure your policy change could logically improve your identified SDOH and ultimately have a positive impact on the identified health issue in your community.
Step 1-F: Complete the Health Issue/SDOH Table
Now you are ready to complete the table containing your health issue, SDOH, and target population in CPE Phase 1. Use this table to focus and organize your work in the course. Contact your CI if you would like feedback or guidance on your ideas. The table is not a required deliverable for the CPE.
Step 1-G: Advocacy Action Plan Summary
As an MSN Nurse leader, you understand the importance of implementing evidence-based tools in practice. There are several published Advocacy Action Plan templates available. These templates are much like following a proven “recipe” for baking the perfect cookie. If you follow the steps of the template your outcomes will be optimal. Review the NLN toolkit in the course for one of these templates. The NLN template is also discussed in the Video and PowerPoint found in Course Tips titled Advocacy Action Plan.
Review the steps of the template used in the PowerPoint. Write a 200-300-word summary outlining the steps you will take to lead your Advocacy Action Team through the process of policy advocacy. At only 200-300 words , you will not discuss all the details of every step, but rather those details that will provide a clear summary.
Step 1-H: Creating a SMART Goal
As the leader of an Advocacy Action Team, part of your role is to work with your team to create focused goals for moving the issue forward. Create one goal for moving an issue forward using the SMART format as described in the CPE. This goal is related to this process of moving the policy forward and not necessarily about the end result of the policy in your community.
Note: The SMART goal should be created following the detailed instructions in the CPE record . s. (Be sure to review the link in the CPE Record for the SMART goal worksheet.)
Step 1-I: Identifying Policymaker(s)
Next, you will think about the process of agenda-setting and communication with policy makers. Agenda setting is when a policy maker decides what is important for them to work on to address the needs of those they serve. Identify your local, county, and state, and policy makers and include their name, title, and contact information in your e-portfolio.
Step 1-J: GoReact
Complete your GoReact videos and written summary, then you will be ready to move to phase 2 of the CPE.
Instructions for GoReact can be found in Supporting Documents of your Task Overview. To access GoReact for this course, you will need to use the link provided in the CPE Record and will need your WGU sign-on credentials. If it is asking for anything more than your WGU username and password, you are not using the correct link. You will add the following 3 GoReact items into your e-portfolio:
Screenshot of your video with your picture – start your video, pause it, then take a screenshot.
A written summary of your GoReact video – you can type right into e-portfolio and place this directly beneath the screenshot of your video.
Screenshots of 2 fellow students that include their picture and your written comments to them.
Step 1-K: Develop Advocacy Team
In phase 2 of the CPE, you will develop your advocacy team. To successfully advocate for policy change in your community, you, as the nurse leader, must form an effective team to reasonably move your policy forward. Using your course resources and those provided in the CPE record, list and describe team building techniques that could help you lead your interprofessional policy advocacy team. (Remember that “interprofessional” includes more than just healthcare professionals.) Your reading provides an overview of these techniques and you can use those techniques that would best fit your team and goals. You may also use outside resources to locate ideas. Be sure to provide a brief explanation of why these techniques could be effective. Think about specific ways to communicate with your team, build camaraderie, set goals, and enable the team to work together effectively.
Step 1-L: Interprofessional Stakeholders
Next, you will identify 5 interprofessional stakeholders to be members of your team. These should be identified by their title or role. You will need to provide some discussion related to how these stakeholders will contribute to your advocacy plan. The stakeholders could be members of the community, board chair, school administrators, mayors, city council members, or others. Remember, stakeholders and policy makers often are not the same people and may have different roles in the advocacy process.
Step 1-M: Meeting Agenda
After identifying your stakeholders or policy advocates, you will need to schedule your first meeting and develop a meeting agenda. The meeting agenda will include education on the health issue, SDOH, and your suggested policy proposal. It will also include education on the process of agenda-setting. (Remember, you learned about agenda setting in CPE Phase 1.) You might also review your Advocacy Action Plan for additional agenda items that would be appropriate for this first meeting
Step 1-N: GoReact
Complete your GoReact video requirements and written summary for Phase II (refer to Step 1-J).
Step 1-O: You are now Ready to Submit!
Submit the OneNote e-portfolio link that includes all completed evidence (11) from both Phases I and II.
Submit the completed CPE Record as a separate document (saved as a PDF .pdf or Word document-.doc).
Do Not submit this document as a shared document or link.
AWM2 Assessment
Resource Tool
Step 2: Getting Started with the AWM2 Assessment
If you have not watched the recorded cohort in your Course Tips, it is imperative that you do so now. The cohort will help ensure your successful completion of this task. If it has been a while since you watched the cohort, this is a good time to review it.
**You must complete your CPE (CAM2) before starting this assessment. You will find that your work in the CPE and the tips from step 1 of this guide have prepared you to complete the majority of the AWM2 paper. Some additional tips and clarification are included in the steps below.
The AWM2 assessment is a scholarly paper formatted in APA style. Use headings to organize your work and follow all recommended guidelines for professional communication in writing. The Writing Center is a great resource to support your professional communication.
Step 2A: Current Policy
In Step 1D you identified the “condition” or SDOH in your community that is placing a particular population at risk for the identified health issue. Before identifying a change (in policy or program) or recommending a new policy or program to improve that SDOH, it is important to examine the existing policy.
Consider: What is being done right now in the community to address the SDOH? For example, if your SDOH is lack of access to education for teenagers about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, the existing policy would be all efforts that are in place right now to educate teens. Is there a course in the high school curriculum? Or, do most students learn this information from parents, peers, social media, etc.?
The existing policy might be one or many initiatives that are insufficient or ineffective, or it might be that there is absolutely nothing in place. Regardless, it is important to describe the current policy (or lack thereof) and how it is affecting your target population/community. If there is a policy in place, you will provide a citation for this policy.
Step 2B: Proposed policy change
Refer back to Step 1E and for review of identifying a proposed policy change.
Step 2C: Diversity and Equitable Distribution of Resources
As you think about considerations for diversity and equitable distribution of resources for your chosen policy change, please address a few of the most relevant concerns for your community.
Considerations for diversity and equitable distribution of resources will likely impact the policy you are recommending. Will all diverse groups be served by this policy? Is there any group that may accidentally “left out” of the change? For example, if your policy recommendation involves education, have you thought about those who don’t speak English or have lower literacy levels? Have you thought about the sight-impaired and whether your recommended policy change will equally serve this potentially vulnerable population? Is there a particular ethnic or cultural group that is more represented in the data, displaying the need to focus attention on meeting the needs of that group? Is the cultural /ethnic mix in your community statistically different from the mix in the rest of the state? Is the change you are recommending going to serve handicapped individuals?
As an MSN prepared nurse leader, it is your responsibility to provide a voice for the vulnerable and advocate for diverse populations – especially if they are unable to advocate for themselves. When a policy change is implemented and a vulnerable group was not considered in the design of the change, we, unfortunately, create new health disparities.
Step 2D: Ethical Implications of Proposed Policy
At the graduate level, you will now enhance your practice with a deepened understanding of ethics and the application of the 9 provisions of the ANA Code of Ethics. How does your proposed policy assist you to uphold 2 of the provisions from the ANA Code of Ethics?
Access the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses (linked on page 27 in Unit 3). Note that Provisions 7 and 8 of the ANA Code of Ethics focus on the ethical responsibility of the nurse in advocating for public health and policy reform.
Locate other resources about ethics in unit 3.
Since provisions from the ANA Code of Ethics are not considered “common knowledge”, you will always cite your source when discussing them in your task.
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. https://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/188592894
Step 2E: Identification of Policy Maker
In the CPE you identified local, county, and state policy makers. As you develop your policy proposal, think about the policy maker/decision maker who would be most influential in moving forward a policy change idea for your chosen population and health issue. (This may not necessarily be one of the policymakers you identified in the CPE.)
It is also important to be clear as to why you chose this particular policymaker. Why do you feel this is the most logical person(s) to bring the issue forward? The MSN nurse leader must be skilled at identifying people of influence and with whom the Advocacy Action Team will get the most “traction” for moving the issue forward.
Step 2F: Strategy to Communicate with a Policymaker
Once the policy recommendation has been drafted, it is time to present the policy to the policymaker. Whether you are presenting to a group (such as a School Board) or an individual (such as a County Commissioner) that first communication is incredibly important in moving the issue forward toward approval/adoption. During this initial meeting, the MSN nurse leader must be organized and well prepared – all of the Advocacy Action Team’s hard work is coming to fruition during this meeting.
Consider the communication methods you will use during this interaction. How will the chosen methods enhance the relationship with the policymaker(s) so that this meeting is not the last, but rather the first of numerous interactions with the policymaker(s) as you work with them to move the issue forward? How will your planned methods of communication educate your policy maker(s) about the preferred policy change and the impact it will have on your community and identified SDOH?
Read Using SBAR to Communicate with Policymakers .
Jurns, C. (2018). Using SBAR to communicate with policymakers. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,
24(1). doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol24No01PPT47
Use the (I)SBAR template in AWM2 supporting documents to organize and summarize the information about your policy proposal. Using this summary will facilitate effective communication with policymakers.
Step 2G: Strategic Next Steps to Strengthen Your Role as a Policy Advocate
During this course, you were introduced to policy advocacy. Think about the knowledge you gained and the skills you are beginning to develop. As a life-long learner, your practice is in a constant state of development. Where will you go from here in regard to policy advocacy? What strategies will you employ to strengthen your professional practice as a policy advocate?
Step 2H: APA
This scholarly paper should be formatted using the 7th ed. APA manual for references, in-text citations, and style
Be sure to use the excellent Writing Center Resources. From your portal, go to Student Success and click on Writing Center. Click on “View our Learning Resources” at the top of the page to find the “Guide to Writing and Citing”. Click on “Attend an Event” for a list of live and open-door sessions for which you can register and attend. You can also connect with the Writing Center via chat, helpline, or email.
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