Health Care Reform Reaction - Term Paper Example

Language barrier also influences delivery of health care as the inability to comprehend instructions from health care providers diminishes people’s abilities to receive preventative and curative care. Ethnic and personal beliefs also influence the delivery of health care as some people prefer home rem dies to hospital medication. Geographical factors also influence access to health care as people in rural areas encounter barriers such as poor transportation, which impede access to hospitals.

Conversely, nursing practice is influenced by factors such as nurses’ work environment and advancement opportunities and legislation (Ellerbe & Regen, 2012). This paper will examine such legislation, discussing its impact on nursing practice. Health Care Reform In 2010, President Obama ratified the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The purpose of the federal statute is to provide a regulatory overhaul of America’s health care system by enhancing access to health care by increasing the quality and affordability of health coverage, thereby reducing the price of health care for Americans (Ellerbe & Regen, 2012). . These gaps are the primary deterrents to the effective delivery of health care for all in the US.

With regard to access to care provision, the Act eliminates discrimination practices that hamper access to health coverage (Ridge, 2011). The Act also enhances funding for care delivery programs and locations, including nurse-managed health clinics. On the quality of care, the Act requires all care givers to ensure that their care is effective, patient-centered, safe, equitable, efficient and timely. Consequently, the Act promotes support systems aimed at the improvement of care and the work environment, for instance, by creating opportunities for enhanced nursing leadership and research (Ellerbe & Regen, 2012).

The Act builds on the provisions of the Public Health Service Act, which offers federal backing for nursing development and education. On the other hand, with regard to cost of care, the Act provides for consumer protections to ensure basic health coverage to all Americans and legal residents. Educational and Practice Consideration for Nursing The discipline of nursing must address various practice and educational consideration to keep up with the demands of the Affordable Care Act. Firstly, nursing practice should be to the full extent of training and education.

This is because the core of PPACA is the provision of quality care by care givers who have sufficient training and education to meet health care service demands. In addition, it is essential for all nurses to attain higher educational levels and intense training through an enhanced educational system, which advocates flawless academic development. This means nursing professionals should enter programs such as bridge