Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment

Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment

Critical Analysis Paper

 

The purpose of this assignment is to:

1. Gain an appreciation of a range of periodical literature relevant to health policy.
2. Apply critical analysis skills to health policy literature.
3. Develop and communicate an informed perspective of the selected topic.

Assignment Details:

• Select two current (no more than 5 yrs old) and peer-reviewed articles addressing a local or federal health policy topic of interest to you and relative to the overall theme of this module. Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment

• •  The articles should be selected from a journal that emphasizes policy issues that increase your knowledge of policy and issues affecting advanced practice in nursing or other healthcare profession.
    • Ex: Nursing and Health Care, Health Policy, Hastings Center Report, Health Affairs, Public Health Reports, etc

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• Follow this outline when writing your paper (make sure to include these subheadings highlighted in purple):

• • Introduction of Policy Topic: provide a brief (1-2 paragraphs) description of the local or federal health policy topic of interest

• • Article 1: Provide a summary of the first peer-reviewed journal article selected. This includes thesis, arguments, conclusions, and recommendations.

• • Article 2: Provide a summary of the second peer-reviewed journal article selected. This includes thesis, arguments, conclusions, and recommendations.

• • Analysis:  In this section, you will critically analyze the two articles.  Delve into the health policy issue and evaluate the value of the document in relation to health, nursing, and health care.

• • Conclusion: Discuss the influence the articles have had on your evolving view of the issue. Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment

• The body of the paper is not to exceed three pages.
• Use APA 7th edition professional version formatting, including a title page and reference page.

• • Minimum of 2 references

Please make sure to reference the grading rubric for this assignment as well to ensure you have addressed all required components.  Please also review the plagiarism statement in the course syllabus.

This assignment is due at the end of Week 2.

 

Critical Analysis Paper

Introduction to Policy Topic

There is an understanding that health care workers are a vulnerable conduit for the spread of Covid-19 among the public. Given this awareness, rule “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination” was initiated requiring that all health care workers participating in federal funded programs such as Medicare and Medicaid must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Initiated in November, 2021, this rule has faced much debate on the rights and freedoms of health care workers. Towards this end, Freedom for Health Care Workers Act was introduced is being debated as a legislation that would nullify the mandatory vaccination rule as well as prevent any similar rule in the future (Congress.Gov, 2023). The ongoing debate raises questions on whether mandatory vaccination policy for health care workers is warranted. Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment

Article 1.

Maneze et al. (2023) presents a discussion on the merits and demerits of mandatory vaccination for health care workers. It notes that many of the arguments are underpinned by legal, moral and ethical principles on the issues of personal risks, professional responsibilities, human rights, and choices. The authors recommend that similar policies and mandates should be guided by reliable scientific evidence that is flexible in considering relevant ethical, moral and legal issues.

Article 2.

Maltezou et al. (2022) presents a discussion on mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for health care workers. The article notes that the mandate was occasioned by increased risk of infection and fatalities that health care workers face, as well as staffing concerns and financial losses from absenteeism and losing part of the workforce. The authors conclude that the vaccination mandate is warranted as it is a public health necessity, it proved effective when in place, has a favorable benefit-risk ratio, and it is the only solution available at present. Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment

Analysis

The two articles make it clear that the mandatory vaccination policy involves more than protecting the public. While it ensures that health care workers are healthy and do not spread the virus among patients, it raises legal, moral and ethical concerns. There is need for greater consultation and debate on the policy issue to address the concerns raised.

Conclusion

The two articles indicate that the mandatory vaccination policy has been beneficial in protecting health care workers, and by extension protecting their patients. This has resulted in financial and health benefits. However, the policy raises some legal, ethical and moral concerns. Having extensive debates that involve all stakeholders would help in exploring the issues concerns and arriving at a more acceptable solution.  Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment

References

Congress.Gov (2023). H.R.497 – Freedom for Health Care Workers Act. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/497?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22health+care%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=4

Maltezou, H. C., Ledda, C., Gagneux-Brunon, A., & Botelho-Nevers, E. (2022). Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare personnel in the era of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Vaccine, 40(50), 7167–7169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.10.053

Maneze, D., Salamonson, Y., Grollman, M., Montayre, J., & Ramjan, L. (2023). Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers: A discussion paper. International journal of nursing studies, 138, 104389.  Freedom for Health Care Workers Act Assignment