The purpose of this volume of the Annual Review of Nursing Research is to provide an introduction for nurses and other health professionals as they begin to study policy. It includes chapters that consider policy triggers, policy development, policy implementation, and policy outcome evaluation. Chapters have been included to explore healthcare policy across the spectrum, starting with the first spark that ignites an idea which leads to policy.

This volume provides readers with new insights on how policies impact health, both positively and negatively, how policies come into being, are implemented, and how the effects of policy interventions are evaluated. Chapters aim to encourage all clinicians to consider how policy, at all levels, impacts individual patients, communities, and the health care delivery system.

Our nation's health-care system is currently undergoing an unprecedented transformation that provides nurses and the nursing profession with distinct challenges and exciting opportunities to provide visionary leadership, commensurate with its ever-increasing numbers of educated professionals.

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