Effective care coordination depends on nurses’ ability to navigate the intersection of governmental health policies and professional ethical standards while maintaining patient-centered advocacy across the continuum of care.

Assessment 2: Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination

NURS‑FPX4050 – Coordinating Patient‑Centered Care

Overview

This assessment provides an opportunity for you to develop a presentation for a local community organization or group of your choice that offers an overview of ethical standards and relevant policy issues affecting the coordination of care. Policies at the federal, state, and local levels fundamentally shape how nurses organize patient care, determine access to services, and uphold safety standards across health care settings. You will select an appropriate audience, analyze how governmental policies and nursing ethical standards influence care coordination for your chosen patient, and present your findings in a professional slide presentation with a detailed narrative script.

You will build on the same patient and health concern you used in your Preliminary Care Coordination Plan (Assessment 1), but the emphasis in this assessment is on ethical and policy factors rather than on designing the plan itself.

Scenario and Audience

Select a community organization or group that would be interested in learning about ethical and policy issues related to care coordination.

Examples may include community health centers, prenatal support groups, recovery groups, faith‑based or neighborhood organizations, or disease‑specific support groups.

Assume you have been invited to speak to this group to help them better understand how policies and ethical standards shape coordination of care for patients like the one in your case.

You are not required to present in person, but you will create a recorded audio presentation (voice‑over of your slides) and a written narrative script.

What You Must Do

1. Develop a PowerPoint presentation

Create a 10–12 slide PowerPoint presentation intended for your selected community organization or group.

Your slide deck must include:

Title slide (not counted in the 10–12 slides):
- Presentation title.
- Your name.
- Date.
- Course number and title.
Content slides (10–12) that address the required points listed under “Content Requirements” below.
References slide(s) at the end of the presentation (not counted in the 10–12 slides).

Each slide should include typed speaker notes. These notes function as the script for your voice recording and will align closely with your separate narrative script document.

Use professional, scholarly presentation standards, including legible fonts, appropriate visual balance, and concise bullet points. Avoid crowding slides with text; main explanations belong in speaker notes and the narrative script.

2. Prepare a detailed narrative script

Create a detailed narrative script or speaker notes for your presentation, approximately 4–5 pages in length.

The script should be written in APA format (Times New Roman 12‑point, double‑spaced, appropriate headings, and in‑text citations) and represent exactly what you would say to the audience while presenting the slides.

Append a references page in APA format to your script, listing all sources cited.

3. Record your presentation (audio)

Record your 10–12 slide presentation with an audio voice‑over, using Kaltura or another approved recording tool.

Your presentation should not exceed 20 minutes in length.

Video of you on camera is not required; an audio narration over your slides is sufficient.

Content Requirements

Your slides, speaker notes, and narrative script must clearly address the following areas. These correspond to the competencies and scoring‑guide criteria for this assessment.

A. Explain how governmental policies related to health and/or safety of a community affect the coordination of care

Describe how governmental policies influence the coordination of patient‑centered care for your chosen patient and population.

Consider federal, state, and local policies or laws that affect:

Access to services.
Safety and quality of care.
Care coordination activities and responsibilities.

Provide concrete examples of how these policies shape what health‑care providers and organizations must do when coordinating care. For instance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 directly influences how nurses share patient information across care settings, requiring careful balancing of privacy protections with the need for seamless information transfer among providers. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) further promotes coordinated, value‑based care models that incentivize health care organizations to focus on patient outcomes rather than volume of services. These policies collectively determine the structural framework within which care coordination occurs, affecting everything from referral processes to discharge planning protocols.

B. Provide examples of specific policies affecting your site or context

Identify at least one specific policy or organizational procedure that affects coordination of care in your chosen practice context or the context implied in your scenario.

This may include institutional protocols (e.g., perinatal safety bundles, discharge planning policies, mandatory reporting procedures) or state‑level reporting and coverage requirements.

Explain how this policy impacts the care coordination needs of your patient and their family or support system. The Nurse Practice Act in each state defines the legal scope of nursing practice, establishing the responsibilities and limitations that directly shape how nurses coordinate care. When a state’s Nurse Practice Act restricts certain aspects of nursing authority, nurses may face additional barriers to timely care coordination, potentially delaying essential services for vulnerable populations.

C. Explain how national, state, and local policy provisions raise ethical questions or dilemmas for care coordination

Analyze how policy provisions at the national, state, and local levels can create ethical dilemmas in coordinating care.

Discuss issues such as:

Balancing patient autonomy and confidentiality with safety or mandated reporting.
Equity and justice in how policies are implemented across different populations.
Potential conflicts between organizational policies and professional ethical standards.

Describe the implications and consequences of specific policy provisions for patients, families, health‑care providers, and organizations.

Support your analysis with credible evidence from peer‑reviewed journals or professional sources. Research demonstrates that nurses frequently experience critical incidents requiring moral action when organizational restrictions limit their ability to provide person‑centered care, particularly during transitions between care settings. Policies that prioritize cost containment or standardized pathways may inadvertently undermine individualized patient care, creating moral distress for nurses who must reconcile organizational demands with their professional ethical obligations.

D. Assess the impact of the Code of Ethics for Nurses on coordination and continuum of care

Apply the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses to your case and care‑coordination context.

Assess how the Code of Ethics influences:

The nurse’s role in coordinating care across settings and over time.
Decisions about patient advocacy, confidentiality, respect, and shared decision‑making.
Consideration of factors that contribute to health, health disparities, and access to services for your specific patient population.

Explain how ethical obligations guide nurses in responding to policy requirements while maintaining patient‑centered, equitable care.

Use evidence from the ANA Code and relevant scholarly or professional literature to support your conclusions. The ANA Code of Ethics provides a non‑negotiable moral framework that guides nurses in making ethical decisions and fulfilling their responsibilities to patients, the public, and the profession. Nursing care grounded in this professional code of ethics reduces moral distress related to ethical dilemmas and improves patient outcomes, whereas the absence of such a framework increases moral distress and negatively affects the quality of care delivered. Provision 8 of the Code explicitly requires nurses to collaborate with other health professionals and the public to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities, directly linking ethical practice to effective care coordination.

E. Communicate key ethical and policy issues affecting coordination and continuum of care

Present a clear, concise overview of the main ethical and policy issues that affect the coordination and continuum of care in your scenario.

Tailor your communication to the needs and level of understanding of your selected community organization or group.

Demonstrate professional, scholarly communication in your slides, speaker notes, script, and audio narration.

Support all main points and conclusions with relevant and credible evidence, properly cited in APA style in both slides and written materials.

Evidence and APA Requirements

Cite 3–5 credible sources from peer‑reviewed journals or professional industry publications (e.g., ANA, WHO, governmental or professional guidelines) to support your presentation.

Use APA style for in‑text citations on your slides (where evidence is referenced), in your speaker notes, and in your narrative script.

Include a References slide in the PowerPoint and a reference list at the end of your narrative script, both in APA format.

Document Format and Length

PowerPoint presentation
- 10–12 content slides, plus title and reference slides.
- Typed speaker notes for each slide.
- Professional, readable design.
Narrative script (Word document)
- Approximately 4–5 pages, double‑spaced, not including title page and references.
- APA format (font, spacing, headings, citations, references).
Audio recording
- 10–12 slide presentation with audio narration.
- Length not to exceed 20 minutes.

Competencies Assessed

This assessment is designed to demonstrate your achievement of the following course competencies:

Competency 2: Apply the code of ethics for nursing to care coordination decisions.
- Assess the impact of the Code of Ethics for Nurses on the coordination and continuum of care, including access to services.
Competency 3: Explain how health care policies affect the coordination of patient‑centered care.
- Explain how governmental policies related to the health and/or safety of a community affect the coordination of care.
- Explain how national, state, and local policy provisions raise ethical questions or dilemmas for care coordination, supported by evidence.
Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead patient‑centered care.
- Communicate key ethical and policy issues affecting the coordination and continuum of care for a health‑care organization or community group using professional, scholarly communication techniques.

Sample Answer Excerpt: Ethical and Policy Analysis in Care Coordination

A comprehensive ethical and policy analysis for care coordination requires nurses to systematically examine how federal mandates, state regulations, and institutional protocols intersect with professional nursing values. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establishes critical privacy protections that nurses must honor when sharing patient information across the care continuum, yet these same protections can create challenges when timely information exchange is essential for safe transitions. The Affordable Care Act’s emphasis on value‑based care has shifted health care organizations toward coordinated, outcomes‑focused models that reward efficient care delivery, but this shift also raises questions about whether cost‑containment priorities might compromise individualized patient attention. Research by Waterfield and colleagues (2022) demonstrates that ethical dilemmas, time pressure, and shared moral burden are key issues affecting nursing practice, suggesting that organizational support for ethical decision‑making is essential for sustainable care coordination. The ANA Code of Ethics guides nurses in navigating these tensions by emphasizing patient advocacy, respect for human dignity, and collaborative relationships across disciplines. When nurses ground their care coordination decisions in both policy awareness and ethical reflection, they are better equipped to advocate for equitable access, protect patient rights, and maintain the trust that communities place in the nursing profession.

Authority and Citation Optimization

Answer-First Summary (60–120 words): This assignment requires nursing students to develop a 10‑12 slide presentation and accompanying 4‑5 page narrative script that analyzes how governmental policies and the ANA Code of Ethics influence care coordination for a specific patient population. Students select a community audience, examine federal, state, and local policy impacts, identify ethical dilemmas arising from policy provisions, and apply the Code of Ethics to care coordination decisions. The assessment emphasizes professional communication, APA citation standards, and evidence‑based analysis of how policies shape patient access, safety, and quality across the continuum of care.

Why This Matters in Practice: Understanding the ethical and policy dimensions of care coordination is not merely an academic exercise but a practical necessity for nurses working in today’s complex health care environment. Nurses routinely encounter situations where policy requirements conflict with patient preferences, where resource limitations create moral distress, and where organizational protocols challenge professional ethical standards. Mastery of these concepts enables nurses to advocate effectively for patients, navigate legal and regulatory requirements confidently, and contribute to policy discussions that shape the future of care delivery. Health care organizations increasingly rely on nurses to lead care coordination efforts, making ethical and policy literacy essential for professional advancement and quality improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What governmental policies most significantly affect care coordination in nursing practice?

Federal policies such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) substantially influence care coordination by establishing privacy protections, promoting value‑based care models, and expanding access to preventive services. State‑level Nurse Practice Acts further define the legal scope of nursing practice, determining what coordination activities nurses can perform independently. Local policies, including institutional discharge planning protocols and mandatory reporting requirements, also shape daily coordination activities.

2. How does the ANA Code of Ethics guide nurses in resolving ethical dilemmas during care coordination?

The ANA Code of Ethics provides a foundational framework for ethical decision‑making, emphasizing principles such as patient autonomy, beneficence, non‑maleficence, and justice. When nurses encounter conflicts between policy requirements and patient needs, the Code directs them to prioritize patient advocacy, respect for human dignity, and collaborative problem‑solving. The Code also obligates nurses to address health disparities and advocate for equitable access to services, ensuring that care coordination decisions reflect both professional values and patient‑centered priorities.

3. What ethical dilemmas commonly arise from policy provisions in care coordination?

Common ethical dilemmas include balancing patient confidentiality with mandatory reporting requirements, reconciling organizational cost‑containment policies with individual patient needs, and navigating conflicts between state scope‑of‑practice regulations and evidence‑based care coordination activities. Nurses may also experience moral distress when policies limit their ability to provide adequate pain management, ensure safe transitions, or respect patient preferences. Research indicates that ambiguous responsibilities and deficiencies in cooperation between organizations frequently contribute to these ethical challenges.

4. How can nurses effectively communicate ethical and policy issues to community audiences?

Effective communication requires tailoring content to the audience’s level of health literacy and prior knowledge, using clear, accessible language while maintaining professional accuracy. Nurses should focus on practical examples that illustrate how policies affect real patients, emphasize the ethical principles underlying care coordination decisions, and invite questions to foster dialogue. Professional, scholarly communication techniques—including organized slide presentations, well‑structured speaker notes, and evidence‑supported narratives—enhance audience understanding and engagement.

5. What role do social determinants of health play in ethical care coordination?

Social determinants of health—including socioeconomic status, housing stability, food security, and access to transportation—significantly influence patients’ ability to engage with care coordination efforts. Ethical care coordination requires nurses to assess these factors and advocate for policies and resources that address health disparities. The ANA Code of Ethics explicitly directs nurses to consider factors that contribute to health inequities and to work toward eliminating barriers to accessible, quality care for all populations.

References

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Silver Spring, MD: Nursesbooks.org.

Hakimi, R., et al. (2020). Nursing care based on a professional code of ethics decreases moral distress related to ethical dilemmas and improves patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Ethics.

Sundean, L. J., et al. (2019). The Nurse Practice Act provides the scope of practice, responsibilities, and limitations of nursing. Journal of Nursing Regulation.

Waterfield, D., et al. (2022). The integration of care ethics and nursing workload: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(7), 2194‑2206. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13723

Svensson, A., et al. (2022). Actions taken to safeguard the intended health care chain of older people with multiple diagnoses – A critical incident study. BMC Nursing, 21, 260. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01039-1

Complete a comprehensive assessment requiring a 10‑12 slide presentation with speaker notes and a 4‑5 page APA‑formatted narrative script that evaluates how federal, state, and local policies and nursing ethical standards influence care coordination across the continuum of care.

Develop a professional presentation and narrative script examining ethical standards and policy issues affecting care coordination, applying the ANA Code of Ethics, and analyzing governmental policy impacts on patient‑centered care for a community audience.

Assignment (Week 4 / Module 3)

Assignment: Care Coordination Implementation and Evaluation Plan

Course: NURS‑FPX4050 – Coordinating Patient‑Centered Care

Description: Building on your ethical and policy analysis from Assessment 2, develop a comprehensive implementation and evaluation plan for the care coordination strategies you identified in your Preliminary Care Coordination Plan (Assessment 1). This assessment requires you to design specific interventions, establish measurable outcomes, identify interprofessional team members and their roles, and create an evaluation framework that assesses the effectiveness of your care coordination approach. You will also analyze potential barriers to implementation, including resource constraints, organizational culture, and policy limitations, and propose evidence‑based solutions to address these challenges. The final deliverable is a 6‑8 page written plan in APA format, supported by at least 5‑7 peer‑reviewed sources, that demonstrates your ability to translate ethical and policy analysis into actionable, patient‑centered care coordination strategies.