| Course | NUR 445 Nursing Management in Health Care |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Group discussion post with peer reply |
| Length | About 477 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 445 Module 6
Group Discussion Board: Public Policy
A Hearing Aid Without a Prescription: What the FDA's Over-the-Counter Rule Changed, What It Did Not, and Where Nurses Fit
Initial Post
For our group's policy topic I chose the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2022 rule that created over-the-counter hearing aids as their own device class (Food and Drug Administration, 2022). The rule, effective in October 2022, allows adults aged 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss to buy hearing aids without a medical exam, prescription or fitting by an audiologist. It followed years of concern that cost and access kept most people with hearing loss from using hearing aids.
This policy matters to my capstone. On my medical unit, most hard-of-hearing older patients arrive without hearing aids, and research links hearing loss without hearing aids to inpatient falls (Tiase et al., 2020). If more adults can obtain affordable devices, fewer may arrive at the hospital unable to hear their nurses.
The policy has clear benefits. It increases competition, lowers prices and lets consumers buy devices in stores and online. Because no prescription is needed, people who live far from an audiologist, which is common in rural Arizona, have a new option.
It also has limits. Over-the-counter devices are intended for mild to moderate loss, so people with severe loss still need professional care. Consumers must judge their own hearing, choose a device and adjust it, which may be hard for older adults with limited technology skills or cognitive impairment. Most importantly, traditional Medicare does not cover hearing aids, a long-standing exclusion in federal law, so cost still falls on the person. The rule changed access to devices but not who pays for them.
Nurses have roles at several levels. At the bedside, we can screen for hearing loss, ask about devices, and teach patients and families about over-the-counter options and when to see an audiologist. In our organizations, we can stock personal amplifiers for patients who arrive without devices, as my capstone proposes. In policy, nurses can support efforts to add a hearing benefit to Medicare and can share data from practice, such as communication problems and falls, with legislators and professional organizations. Our readings on consumers and nurses emphasize that nurses act as advocates who translate policy into practice for patients (Friberg & Saewert, 2023).
Reply to a Group Member
Monique, your analysis of the No Surprises Act was helpful because it shows the same pattern as my topic: a federal rule that protects consumers but depends on them knowing their rights. You noted that many patients do not know they can ask for a good faith estimate. That matches what I found with over-the-counter hearing aids, since most of my older patients have never heard of them. Do you think hospitals should be required to tell patients about these options at discharge, or is that better left to primary care?
References
Food and Drug Administration. (2022). Medical devices; ear, nose, and throat devices; establishing over-the-counter hearing aids. Federal Register, 87, 50698-50762. https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-17230
Friberg, E. E., & Saewert, K. J. (Eds.). (2023). Conceptual foundations: The bridge to professional nursing practice (8th ed.). Elsevier.
Tiase, V. L., Tang, K., Vawdrey, D. K., Raso, R., Adelman, J. S., Yu, S. P., Applebaum, J. R., & Lalwani, A. K. (2020). Impact of hearing loss on patient falls in the inpatient setting. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 58(6), 839-844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.01.019
Reading the NUR 445 Module 6 assignment instructions
The posted syllabus lists the Public Policy group discussion in Module 6, which covers health care finance and economics and public policy, legal issues in nursing, and consumers and nurses, with three chapters from the Friberg and Saewert text. In group boards, you usually work with a small team, each member analyzing a policy or one aspect of a shared policy, and then responding to group members. Prompts commonly ask you to describe a policy, the problem it addresses, who it affects, its strengths and limitations, and the nurse's role in policy, supported by sources. Check Canvas for your group assignment, the policy options and the reply rules. Your group may be assigned a single policy, with each member covering one angle, so coordinate early.
How the NUR 445 Module 6 example is put together
The post introduces a specific federal rule with its date, scope and eligibility, cited to the Federal Register, and explains why the writer chose it. Benefits and limits are presented in separate paragraphs, including the gap left by Medicare's exclusion of hearing aids. A paragraph describes nurses' roles at the bedside, organizational and policy levels, tying back to the writer's capstone and to the module readings. The reply links a group member's policy to the same pattern and asks a question about responsibility for informing patients, which invites further discussion. The policy is cited to the Federal Register itself rather than to news coverage.
NUR 445 Module 6 rubric: what earns full marks
This group board typically rewards getting the rule's facts right, tracing its effects on patients and on the system, naming what nurses can do, citing reliable sources and replying with substance, with format and deadlines rounding it out. Graders look for analysis that goes beyond summary, including limitations and unintended effects. Citing the policy itself, such as a Federal Register rule or a statute, strengthens accuracy. Group boards may also be graded on collaboration, so replies to group members should be substantive. Showing both who gains and who is left out by a policy is usually what separates analysis from summary. Group members may also be asked to rate each other's participation.
NUR 445 Module 6 help: mistakes that cost marks
Posts go wrong most often when the policy is too large for a few hundred words, such as the whole Affordable Care Act. Pick one rule or provision. Another is describing the policy without any limits or criticism. Check dates and eligibility details in the official source rather than news articles. Connect the policy to nursing practice with specific actions. Remember the reference list. If you want help analyzing a policy that fits your own practice, send the group prompt to the desk. Make your reply to group members as substantive as your initial post, since replies are graded too. Name at least one group that the policy leaves out.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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NUR 445 Module 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 445 Module 6 sample paper?
The public policy group discussion appears on this page: a post on the 2022 federal rule that put hearing aids on store shelves, its benefits and limits, nurses' roles, a reply to a group member and references.
What policy can I choose for the NUR 445 public policy discussion?
Choose a specific federal or state rule or law that affects patients and nurses, such as a staffing, payment, drug pricing or device regulation, and cite the official source.
How do I cite a federal rule in APA for NUR 445?
Use the agency as author, the year, the rule title, the Federal Register volume, issue and pages, and a link to the document.
What is the nurse's role in public policy?
Nurses advocate for patients, translate policy into practice, share practice data with decision makers and participate in professional organizations and legislative efforts.
Are hearing aids covered by Medicare?
Traditional Medicare excludes hearing aids, though some Medicare Advantage plans offer limited coverage. The over-the-counter rule lowered prices but did not change coverage.