NUR4108 Policy Brief

Guideline/Rubric
Course Objectives, Program Outcomes, and AACN Essentials:
1. Participate as a nursing professional in political processes and grassroots legislative efforts to influence
healthcare policy. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V, VII, VIII)
2. Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments, including local, state,
national, and global healthcare trends. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V, VII, VIII)
4. Explore the impact of socio-cultural, economic, legal, and political factors influencing healthcare delivery and
practice. (Care Coordination & Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential I, II, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX)
5. Identify the implications of healthcare policy on the issues of access, equity, affordability, and social justice in
healthcare delivery. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V, VII, & VIII)
6. Examine legislative and regulatory processes relevant to the provision of healthcare. (Advocacy/Policy; BSN Essential V,
VII, & VIII)

Title: Policy Brief

Audience: General Public/Legislator
Point of view: First Person
Format: APA
Template: Template provided, optional
Length: 1-2 pages only
References: Minimum of four (4); one must be a nursing, scholarly journal article

Grading Rubric: Please see the Assignment Rubric for further details related to this assessment and grading criteria.

Assignment Guidelines: For this assignment, you will research and write a scholarly policy brief that will be the
foundation for your advocacy letter/email to your Congress-person, Senator, or local Representative on a current bill
in progress. A policy brief is a short, neutral summary of what is known about a particular issue or problem. The
brief should provide evidence and actionable recommendations. The purpose of the policy brief is to convince the
target audience of the urgency of the current problem and the need to adopt the preferred alternative course of
action outlined in the brief. Policy briefs are “frontloaded”- this means that your conclusions are on the front page!
In preparation for this assignment and during week one, identify your legislators at the federal and state level
(including your U.S. Congressional Representative, U.S. Senators, State Senators, and State House
Representatives and how to reach them) from the following website: https://www.govtrack.us/ You will follow up
this policy brief with a letter/email to your legislator(s) in week seven.
Informational web sites:
Academic Policy Brief Assignments https://writingcenter.unc.edu/policy-briefs/

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Health Affairs Policy Briefs https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/collections/health-affairs-briefs.html

Health Affairs https://www.healthaffairs.org/

Nursing web sites for supportive information:

-American Nurses Association (ANA) Policy and Advocacy. Here you can find state legislative issues the ANA is promoting
across the country. http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy

-Florida Nurses Association-Nursing, Advocacy, Engagement http://cqrcengage.com/fln/home?0

-Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) and the Action Coalition (FL-AC) https://www.flcenterfornursing.org/FL-ActionCoalition.aspx

Governmental web sites to get you started in your research:

Florida Senate: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bills/2018
Florida House: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/bills.aspx

U.S. Congress: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/

U.S. Senate: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/bills.htm

U.S. House of Representatives: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/subjects/house_of_representatives/5947?congre%20ss=115

You must cover all of the following sections in your policy brief:
Background: What is the aim of the policy brief? What problem will your brief address? What evidence do you have
to support the problem? What are the policy options? What is the likelihood of the policy getting passed?
Issue Summary: Describe the issue and the associated bill. Who is the audience/stakeholders? Why is the problem
important to them? Who else might be affected by the policy?
Recommendations: What policy action are you proposing? What are your recommended actions from the
evidence presented? Do you have a strong argument supported with evidence?
References: Minimum of four (4); one must be a nursing, scholarly journal article. Include the bill in APA format.
A template has been provided to guide your policy brief and it is highly recommended for use.
Important: For the policy brief, select an issue with an associated bill that can be addressed through your
local, state, or federal legislators. This policy brief can be the foundation for your advocacy letter/email to
be completed later in the course.
For Submission: Submit your policy brief under the week assignment area and be prepared to discuss your brief in
the week 6 discussion area.

NUR4108 Policy Brief Rubric

Overall A B C D = 65-69.99%
Grading Scale> 90-100% 80-89.99% 70-79.99% F = 0-64.99%
Requirement Title Brief Description Excellence Above Average Average Below Average/Failing

APA and Writing -APA Format, -Excellent APA format -Uses APA format, -Uses some APA Does not conform
Methodology Paraphrasing, and citations with style, and citations format, style, and to APA format and
15% Citations and minimum required with minimum citations with style and/or
Reference references required references minimum required writing
format -Excellent writing with minor gaps in references or below conventions.
-References- conventions. appropriateness or minimum with major
Minimum of four correct use. gaps in
(4); one (1) must -Writing conventions appropriateness or
be a nursing, with minor errors. correct use.
scholarly journal -Writing conventions
article with major errors.
-Writing
conventions-
sentence
structure,
paragraphing,
grammar/
spelling.
Background and Provides Provides a Provides a description Provides a Did not provide
Issue Summary background comprehensive of researched health description of appropriate
25% information on description of care or nursing issue researched health background
the current researched health with appropriate care or nursing issue information.
socioeconomic, care or nursing issue associated with appropriate
political, or with appropriate policies/bills with associated
ethical issues
associated minor gaps in content policies/bills with
surrounding the
policies/bills or comprehensiveness major gaps in
problem
including any content or
related comprehensiveness
policy/bill.

Scope and Effects Describes the Comprehensively Presents the issue, Presents the issue, Non-conformant
35% issue as well as presents, analyzes and analyzes or makes analyzes or makes analysis and
the implications makes evaluative evaluative statements evaluative evaluation of the
of the problem statements of the key of the key concepts of statements of the key concepts of
for patients, concepts of the issue the issue (including key concepts of the the issue (including
nursing or (including the the policy/bill) with issue (including the the policy/bill).
nursing practice
policy/bill) supported minor gaps in clarity policy/bill) with
(including the
by evidence. or major gaps in clarity
policy/bill)
comprehensiveness. or
comprehensiveness.

Recommendations Your ability to Describes explicitly a Describes generally a Description of the Recommendations
25% determine an realistic and thought- realistic and though- proposed action is are not clear or did
appropriate out action supported out action supported present, but not not describe or
action by evidence. by evidence. clear, realistic, or propose any
supported by action.
evidence.