Issues Paper Guidelines
The purpose of the Issues Paper is to allow each student an opportunity to explore a specific health care policy issue, and propose current legislative policy options and strategies to address the issue (Unit III objectives).
Read Chapters 7 & 8 in Mason, Leavitt, & Chaffee (2014). The sample paper on pages 58-64 and the matrix/scorecard on page 54 are to be used as a guide only. The sample provided will look different from yours as you have different grading criteria (see rubric). From the sample paper, you cannot use the "do nothing or incremental change" options.
Based on your education, work experiences, and human nature, most of you probably already have opinions about many health care policy issues. A big challenge is to set aside your personal and professional opinions when analyzing health care policies in order to review the facts objectively. You need to gather the facts before you draw conclusions about the value of a policy.
Students will select a healthcare policy issue with two bills in the current Congress. These bills can be at the state and/or federal level.
Students will introduce the policy issue and define the issue. Problem identification provides a reason for the work and sense of direction for your evidence gathering. Avoid including possible solutions in your problem identification/definition.
You will then provide background information including societal, economic, ethical, legal and political factors surrounding the issue.
Students will write a one sentence issue statement (can be written as a sentence or a question).
You will also identify stakeholders, including those who will support the issue and those who will oppose the issue.
Students will identify at least two policy goals/objectives that describe what kind of policy would most benefit the issue.
In addition, students will identify two bills currently in Congress that could benefit the issue you have identified. They can be two different ways to accomplish your policy goals – but might not be the exact answer to your question. You are looking to see what might be available already, or what changes or revisions you might need to ask your legislator to include in the bill the best meet your policy goals.
Students will also identify at least 2 options or evaluative criteria and provide rationale for these criteria. Your evaluation criteria will depend on your policy issue. There is a link posted in the unit ‘Resources’ with examples of policy evaluation criteria options.
Each bill must be evaluated on all identified evaluative criteria utilizing pro and con statements.
Rationales must be provided for each of your statements and there must have references for each
pro and con statement for each bill. Refer to textbook example for writing pro/con statements.
The identified evaluation criteria will be included in the matrix/scorecard Appendix. A
matrix/scorecard is a table that summarizes your analysis of your selected bills using the
evaluation criteria you selected. Students will develop a ‘score’ for each evaluation criteria and a
total score for each policy alternative. You may use any system, but be sure to include a ‘key’.
The matrix/scorecard example on page 54 in Mason, Leavitt, and Chaffee (2014) does not
include a key. For example, students may use symbolic descriptors such as “--, -, =, +, ++”, or a
numeric descriptors, such as 1-10.
Students will discuss the analysis and comparison of the two bills based on the policy goals you
identified. You will discuss how closely the recommended bill “fits” your policy objectives you
previously identified, not based just on the evaluation criteria (which is included in your matrix).
Students will identify which policy alternative would be recommended based on the analysis.
You must make a bill recommendation; there can be no ‘tie’.
For a paper of this length, students are expected to use to use heading following the layout of the
grading rubric.
Formal papers should be 8 pages in length, excluding the title page, reference page, and
appendix.
The required matrix/scorecard should be included as an Appendix, adhering to APA formatting.
Liberal number of references (minimum of 15 references). Advanced peer reviewed nursing journals and other articles.
You must submit your paper to Turnitin.com. The final report is to be saved as a pdf document
and merged with the paper (in other words, you will be submitting one document). Students will
be given the opportunity to submit revisions of the paper to turnitin.com.
Scholarship Expectations
You are clinical nurse scholars in the making. You are the advanced practice nurses and
members of the highly literate profession of advanced practice nurses who will chart the future
of health care. Good writing ability is as much a required skill for nursing in advanced practice
as performing clinical functions. Therefore, precision and scholarship is expected in all
assignments.
Organized and logical progression of idea; effort and attention to detail is evident; communicates
effectively in all aspects of discussion. Correct grammar, spelling, and word choice. References
are current and timely. Appropriately paraphrased, and acknowledged. Correct use of APA.
Correct title page use.
Grading Rubric: Issue Paper
Points
Introductory paragraph (one paragraph). There must be a thesis statement that tells the reader purpose of paper and what will be discussed.
/0.5
Problem Identification/Policy Problem
/1
Background (local/state/regional/ national perspectives with statistics, facts, figures, monetary issues)
*Social Factors (2 points) Why is this a problem? Who are those involved? How impacted?
*Economic Factors (2 points) Who does it cost? How much does it cost? Use specific $, %. #, etc.
*Ethical Factors (2 points) be sure to address ethical principles being violated - Cardinal bioethical principles are autonomy, distributive justice, nonmaleficence, and Code of Nursing Ethics.
*Political and Legal Factors (2 points) What legislative action has already happened at the state or national level? What was the impact? Litigation or court decisions? What do the different parties have to say about the issue? What is the impact of issue for both the legal and political arenas?
/ 8
Issue Statement (one sentence/question). Focus on the issue, rather than the topic, or a specific policy proposal.
/ 1
Stakeholders. Do not merely list. Must clearly address those who will support the issue and those who will oppose the issue.
/ 2
Policy Goals and Objectives (Identify at least 2). You will describe what kind of policy would most benefit the issue you have identified. Think globally for this section.
/ 2
Policy Options and Alternatives (only 2 can be presented). Provide the actual name and number of the 2 bills – must include the reference for each bill in the Reference list of the paper.
/ 2
Evaluation of Options. Identify at least 2 options or evaluative criteria (these criteria will be included on your matrix/scorecard). Provide rationale for why these criteria are important. Each bill must be evaluated on all evaluative criteria utilizing pro and con statements. Rationales must be provided for each of your pro and con statements and there must be references for each pro and con statement for each bill.
/ 4
Results of Analysis & Summary: Discuss the analysis and comparison of the two bills based on the policy goals you identified earlier in the paper. Not based just on the evaluation criteria (which is included in your matrix), but how closely does the recommended bill “fit” your policy objectives. State which policy alternative would be recommended based on the analysis.
/ 2
Matrix/Scorecard Use format as example in Mason, Leavitt, & Chaffee (2012) and include as an appendix following APA formatting guidelines.
/ 2
Conclusions: summarize the essential points of paper in one paragraph.
/ 0.5
Total points
/ 25
Deductions:
0.25 point = each APA, grammar, and spelling error
10% = Document not submitted as pdf, no turnitin report, paper and turnitin report not merged, paper and turnitin report merged in incorrect order, and/or over the page limit
20% = One or both bills selected are not in the current congress
20% = Plagiarism or incorrect paraphrasing (see course syllabi)
Up to 20% of points = lack of scholarship
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