Policy Analysis Paper Guidelines

Purpose: To investigate & integrate knowledge of advanced nursing practice, scholarly inquiry, & leadership by examining a policy at the level of clinical practice, health care systems, or public/social health policy.
Students are to submit a paper 6-8 pages long (Introduction, Background,  Analysis, recommendation, discussion, conclusion)    excluding title page and reference pages . Paper must be organized according to the guidelines below and should include all the identified sections as required. Paper must be completed in APA format and contain current scholarly sources dated from 2014 until current. NO PLAGIARISM. The following may be selected as topic for this paper: Medicaid

Introduction 10 points Generally define & describe the policy issue to be addressed. Identify the purpose of analysis, the targeted level of policy (i.e., clinical practice, health care systems, or public/social health) & significance of topic. Identify questions the policy analysis is intended to address.
Background 10 points Provide details of the issue or problem, including its nature/scope, relevant literature & history, & the context within which the issue exists. Describe existing policy addressing the issue, if any. Discuss strengths & shortcomings in existing policy. Identify & describe key stakeholders (individuals & groups) that are or will be affected by the policy & why.
Analysis 15 points Identify alternative policies to achieve objectives. Establish/identify criteria that will be used for selection of best policy. Evaluate each alternative & its potential impact relative to the healthcare & patient outcomes. Assess the trade-offs between alternatives.
Recommendations 15 points Based on the analysis, identify the best alternative to address the current issue & policy situation. Provide rationale for selection. Describe possible strategies to implement selected alternative. Identify barriers to implementation of selected alternative. Describe methods to evaluate policy implementation.
Discussion 20 points Discuss analysis & recommendations relative to the original questions identified, & the level of policy it is intended to address (i.e., clinical practice, health care systems, or public). Identify limitations of analysis. Discuss implications for practice, education, research, & policymaking.
Conclusion 15 points Summarize findings & recommendations of analysis Identify questions to be addressed in future studies or policy analyses.
References 15 points List all references cited in paper. Must be completed in APA f