University of Kansas Medical Center Online Continuing Education

 

CN95005: Nurse Power! Using the Internet to Influence the Political Process Original release: May 1999 Revision date: May 2000 -by- Jo Ellen Greischar-Billiard, RN, MS University of Kansas Medical Center School of Nursing

 

Course Description

Nurse Power! Using the Internet to Influence the Political Process is a continuing education course designed to help practicing nurses influence the political process. Nurses can have a major impact on health-care legislation. By using the simple means of communicating in oral or written form, nurses can affect issues of state and national importance.

Information

• This course includes learning activities, instructor comments, and a posttest. The course is linked to multiple Web sites relevant to the topic and includes a list of references.
• To receive a Continuing Education certificate, completion of a posttest with a score of 70% or better is required. The posttest may be retaken as required for mastery.
• This course has been approved for 1 hour of credit. Time to complete the course will vary depending on the learner’s familiarity with the subject matter. You are encouraged to learn at your own pace. You can exit and reenter the module at your convenience.

Purpose/Goal

The purpose of this continuing education course from the University of Kansas School of Nursing is to increase nurses’ knowledge of techniques for influencing political policies through oral and written communication.

Objectives

At the completion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• discuss the importance of becoming politically involved;
• describe two ways to communicate your views to your legislator;
• list four components for written communication to your congressperson;
• use the World Wide Web to gather information regarding the legislative process and its application in health care reform.

Target audience

This course is intended for nurses in advanced practice and other professional nurses.

Topical outline

1. Getting Started
2. Becoming Politically Involved
3. Locating Information
4. Communicating Your Views
5. Components of a Letter
6. Learning Activity
7. Summary
8. Posttest

Planning Committee from the University of Kansas Medical Center

Ilene Brawner, Director, Continuing Nursing Education; Jan Davidson, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing; Jo Ellen Greischar-Billiard, MS, RN, Clinical Instructor, School of Nursing; Patricia Wahlstedt, RN, MSN, Director of Innovative Programming, School of Nursing

Peer Review Committee

Jan Davidson, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing; Patricia Wahlstedt, RN, MSN. Director of Innovative Programming, School of Nursing

Editorial Review: Barbara Watkins, Ph D, Coordinator of Curriculum and Projects, Division of Continuing Education

Acknowledgements

• University of Kansas Medical Center Educational Technology staff
• This course was underwritten, in part, by a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.
• University of Kansas Continuing Education staff

Periodic Revision of Content

Participants may set their own time limits for course completion; however, please note that the course will be revised on the anniversary of its release. (see title page for original release date)

Accreditation

Nurses:
This educational activity for 1 contact hour is sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Nursing Office of Continuing Nursing Education, which is accredited as a provider of continuing education in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on accreditation.

To obtain credit for a course, you must:

• complete the registration form;
• select a payment option and complete the billing information;
• successfully complete the posttest;
• complete the course evaluation.

Fees

The fee for this continuing education course is $15.00 per contact hour (US).

 

Instructor Information:

Jo Ellen Greischar-Billiard, RN, MS, is an alumna of the University of Kansas School of Nursing’s baccalaureate program. She has been on the School of Nursing faculty since 1990 and has taught a variety of clinical as well as lecture courses. Ms. Greischar-Billiard has served on ad hoc committees for Continuing Education programs for the School of Nursing. Ms. Greischar-Billiard received her Masters of Science in Medical-Surgical Nursing/Teaching from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. Her areas of interest include work satisfaction for nurses and patient education. She is currently teaching the course Health-Care Issues for RNs on the Internet.