Nurses face several barriers to participating in health care policy development at the state, national, or organizational levels. Key barriers include:
Limited Access to Decision-Making Roles: Nurses are often underrepresented in leadership roles, which means they have less influence in policy discussions despite their vital role in patient care.
Lack of Education in Policy: Nurses are trained in patient care, not policy or legislation, which can hinder their ability to engage in policy development or understand legislative processes.
Time Constraints: Nurses, especially those on the front lines, work long hours, leaving little time or energy for policy participation.
Structural Barriers: Many healthcare organizations don’t prioritize nursing involvement in policy development, limiting nurses’ opportunities to contribute at the institutional level.
Power Dynamics: Nurses may face hierarchical barriers within healthcare settings, where physicians and administrators hold more power, leaving nurses’ voices less heard.

Example: The Affordable Care Act development saw limited nurse involvement, despite their valuable insights into patient care and system inefficiencies. This underrepresentation reflects the barriers nurses face in shaping health policy.
In conclusion, addressing these barriers through education, support, and greater inclusion in decision-making is crucial for nurses to play a key role in health policy development.

American Nurses Association. (2019). Nurses’ role in policy development. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.orgLinks to an external site.

Buerhaus, P. I., Skinner, L. E., Auerbach, D. I., & Staiger, D. O. (2017). The impact of the RN workforce on health care quality and policy. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(5), 243-249. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000497

Kurtzman, E. T., & Barnow, B. S. (2017). The role of nursing in improving health care policy: Challenges and opportunities. Health Affairs, 36(1), 134-141. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1024