dissecting an issue class 1 january 6, 2010 judith anne shaw, ph.d., rn
TRANSCRIPT
What is an issue?
Concern of widespread interest to the general public
A question in dispute and the decision of special interest
Nurses need to ask:
Who benefits? What cost? Who pays cost? Who suffers? Who does not benefit? Who/what is left behind? What purpose served by no change?
Significance for Nursing Profession
Beyond the individual nurse Large collective: organization of
nurses Opportunity to speak in unison Organize to act: provincial/territory;
national; & international
Quality of Health Care1.
2.Nature Qualityof Nursing of Health
3. Care
4.
[1.standards of nursing education, 2. quality of care provided by practitioner, 3. number of nurses available, 4. milieu in which care offered]
Code of Ethics (Canadian Nurses Association, Patient advocacy
Issues directly affecting health status of Canadians
Lobbying for positive change
Improving the image of nursing
Problem
Benefits from analysis One dimensional Solution apparent
Usually response based Numerically measurable
Resolution-immediate
Issue
Requires analysis Multiple dimensions Multiple possibilities
Multiple barriers to resolution.Persists over time
Comparing Issues, Problems, and Trends
Issue Problem TrendRequires Benefits from Analysis NOT analysis analysis
required Multiple One dimension Signified a dimensions direction
Multiple Solution is apparent Does NOT possibilities Usually response based involve a
Numerically measurable solutionMultiple barriers to resolutionPersists over time Can be resolved immediately
Issue Framing Topic of interest
Select particular issue
Articulate issue clearly
Stipulate one’s beliefs and assumptions about the issue
Analyses: The Nature of the Issue
Historical Ethical-Legal Social and Cultural Political Critical Feminist Economic
The Nature of the Issue What makes this issue a nursing issue? Who are other participants in the issue? What are their involvement in the issue? Who first became concerned with the
subject? Who began to raise the subject as an
issue and why?
Historical
When did the issue originate? What are the conditions that led to
the development of the issue? How have these conditions
changed over time? What has contributed to the stance
taken by participants in the issue?
Ethical and Legal
What are the laws that influence the issue?
What professional codes or legislative acts mandate participant’s responses to the issue?
Social and Cultural
ALL issues develop in a social context.
What contexts shape this particular issue?
What are the prevailing attitudes in society about this issue?
Political
Who benefits from this issue being resolved?
Who benefits from things staying the same?
Relationship between knowledge and power in this situation?
Critical Feminist
Error or myths about women’s abilities or realities contained in this issue?
Is the issue influenced by power inequities---?
Barriers to Resolution Inaccessibility of resources
Limited understanding
Irresolvable differences/ competing interests of participants
Differing assumptions/key stakeholders
Issue Resolution
Lobbying Letters to officials Letters to editors News releases Written resolution- for presentation
Strategy Success
Dependent on:
People affected by issue Interest generated Time available Human and financial resources
available