Influencing health care policy: nursing research and the ANA social policy statement.

This paper describes policy formation and its relationship to nursing research, examining ways in which nursing's disciplinary research can have greater influence on American health care policy. The American Nurses Association's Social Policy Statement (1995) is discussed in its role as a guide for nursing research efforts in a health care reform environment where favorable patient outcomes are key.

Partners in distance learning. Project outreach.

Distance learning refers to any educational experience in which the instructor (teacher) is separated from the student (learner) by geographic distance. Partnerships are being established between institutions of higher education and healthcare organizations to achieve a mutual goal, that of educating employees to work in a rapidly changing workplace environment. The authors describe one such partnership and the common issues confronted by both the academic and service institutions in implementing an outreach education program. The authors propose that these partnerships can be effective in implementing distance learning programs that meet the ongoing educational needs of nurses living and working in rural and underserved environments.