Benchmark – Policy Brief NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignme

Benchmark – Policy Brief

NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignment

The benchmark assesses the following competencies:

1.4 Participate in health care policy development to influence nursing practice and health care.

Research public health issues on the “Climate Change” or “Topics and Issues” pages of the American Public Health Association (APHA) website. Investigate a public health issue related to an environmental issue within the U.S. health care delivery system and examine its effect on a specific population.

Write a 750-1,000-word policy brief that summarizes the issue, explains the effect on the population, and proposes a solution to the issue.

Follow this outline when writing the policy brief:

1. Describe the policy health issue. Include the following information: (a) what population is affected, (b) at what level does it occur (local, state, or national), and (c) evidence about the issues supported by resources.
2. Create a problem statement.

NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignment

Evidence about Tobacco Smoking

According to the CDC, tobacco smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths annually in the U.S., which accounts for nearly one in five deaths. Tobacco smoking accounts for approximately 90% of all lung cancer mortalities, with more women dying from lung cancer every year than from breast cancer Asma et al., 2014). In addition, smoking accounts for about 80% of all deaths caused by COPD (Gibbs, Collaco & McGrath-Morrow, 2016). Tobacco use has been associated with a range of medical conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes mellitus, and colon cancer.

Problem Statement

Low-income individuals in the U.S. have the highest prevalence of tobacco use, which has been associated with adverse health effects in the population. Even so, people do not access enough resources to promote tobacco cessation.  In response to this problem, this study seeks to propose a policy that will address tobacco smoking and lower the prevalence of tobacco use among the low-income population.

1. Provide suggestions for addressing the health issue caused by the current policy. Describe what steps are required to initiate policy change. Include necessary stakeholders (government officials, administrator) and budget or funding considerations, if applicable.
2. Discuss the impact on the health care delivery system.

Include three peer-reviewed sources and two other sources to support the policy brief.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignment

Course Code      Class Code          Assignment Title             Total Points

NRS-428VN        NRS-428VN-O503            Benchmark – Policy Brief              120.0

Criteria Percentage         Unsatisfactory (0.00%)   Less Than Satisfactory (80.00%)             Satisfactory (88.00%)     Good (92.00%)  Excellent (100.00%)

Content              80.0%

Description of Policy Health Issue            20.0%   Description of the policy issue is omitted.         An incomplete description of the policy issue is presented. The origin of this policy is unclear. There is no evidence that this policy creates a health issue, or that it is an issue for the population selected. The level at which the issue occurs has not been identified. There are major inaccuracies.              A description of the policy issue is summarized. The origin of the policy is described, but it is unclear why the policy creates a health issue for the population selected. The level at which the issue occurs is identified. There are some inaccuracies. More information and rationale are needed. A general description of the policy issue is presented. The origin of the policy is described and a correlation between the policy and the health issue for the population selected is established. The level at which this occurs is discussed. Some rationale or detail is needed for clarity.      A detailed description of the policy issue is presented. The origin of the policy is described and a strong correlation between the policy and the health issue for the population selected is established. The level at which this occurs is discussed. Strong rationale and evidence are offered for support. Insight into the policy health issue is demonstrated. NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignment

Problem Statement        20.0%   A problem statement is not included.     A problem statement is present but lacks detail or is incomplete. Subject knowledge is unclear or inconsistent.     A problem statement is present. Some subject knowledge is evident.r   A problem statement is included, and subject knowledge is competent.            A problem statement is thoroughly developed with supporting details.

Suggestions for Addressing the Policy Health Issue (C 1.4 Participate in health care policy development to influence nursing practice and health care.)  20.0%              Suggestions for addressing the policy health issue are not included.              Suggestions for addressing the policy health issue are incomplete. Suggestions do not include all assignment criteria. The suggestions do not support policy change for the policy health issue.             Suggestions for addressing the issue are present. Some subject knowledge is evident. Most assignment criteria are met. The suggestions generally outline steps for policy change. More information or evidence is needed.            Suggestions for addressing the issue are present, and subject knowledge is competent. All assignment criteria are met. The suggestions outline steps for policy change. Minor detail is needed for clarity.            Suggestions for addressing the issue are thoroughly developed with supporting details. All assignment criteria are met and well-supported. The suggestions are well-supported and offer clear steps for initiating policy change.

Impact on Health Care Delivery System  20.0%   A discussion on the impact on the health care delivery system is not included.  A discussion on the impact on the health care delivery system is present but lacks detail or is incomplete. Subject knowledge is unclear or inconsistent.     A discussion on the impact on the health care delivery system is present. Some subject knowledge is evident.              A discussion on the impact on the health care delivery system is present, and subject knowledge is competent.   A discussion on the impact on the health care delivery system is thoroughly developed with supporting details. NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignment

Organization, Effectiveness, and Format 20.0%

Thesis Development and Purpose            5.0%      Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.        Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.        Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose.              Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.              Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clea

Argument Logic and Construction            5.0%      Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources.   Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.     Argument is orderly but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.   Argument shows logical progression. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative.         Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.

Mechanics of Writing  (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)              5.0%      Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used.      Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.     Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.         Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.           Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English. NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignment

Paper Format  (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)    2.0%              Template is not used appropriately, or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.          Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.              Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.     Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style.     All format elements are correct.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style) 3.0%      Sources are not documented.              Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.          Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.           Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.              Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error. NRS 428 Benchmark – Policy Brief Assignment

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

• Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
• Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
• One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
• I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

Weekly Participation

• Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
• In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
• Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
• Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.

APA Format and Writing Quality

• Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
• Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
• I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.

Use of Direct Quotes

• I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
• As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
• It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.

LopesWrite Policy

• For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
• Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
• Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
• Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

• The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
• Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
• If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
• I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
• As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

• Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:
  • Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
  • Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.