(1997). Leaders use their position to empower others and challenge the status quo. ANA State Government Affairs Program | ANA Enterprise It is expert power that allows nurses to bring their knowledge of nursing, health care, and patient safety to bear directly on the promotion and achievement of their policy goals. Shaping the final outcome and content of the proposed policy change depends on identifying the supporters as well as the non-supporters among legislators, contacting the chairperson and the members of relevant committees, and most importantly contacting ones own legislator. Eddie Bernice Johnson (30th Congressional District of Texas), worked as a psychiatric nurse at the Dallas VA Medical Center. American Nurses Association. They also made a point of actively listening to the legislators in an effort to help support the legislators causes as the legislators supported theirs. Kendig, S.M. The most important part of being an advocate is awareness of the issues that are important. While the profession desires to increase nurses' political participation, there has not been a structured, comprehensive program to recruit, train, motivate, and support nurses to pursue elected office. Depending ones level of confidence and where the issue is in the policy process, one could also testify about the problem at public meetings and describe the merits of the solution one is advocating, lobby decision makers for or against proposed health policy changes under consideration, and/or work with the media to bring attention to the problem and the proposed solutions. Rakich, J.S., Longest, B. Strategies for Effective Action in the Legislative Arena. HCB: You founded the Congressional Nursing Caucus and are serving as its co-chair. Lauren Underwood (14th Congressional District of Illinois) earned master's degrees in both nursing and public health before working as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Schoenbaum, S.C. (2006). The politics of caring: Ask not what nursing can do for you. Complex health care policies require the knowledge and efforts of organized groups, the help of professional lobbyists, and sustained activity of months or even years. A recent report compiled by the Commonwealth Fund found that a highly variable quality of care is delivered by a system that is too often poorly coordinated, thus driving up costs, and putting patients at risk (Schoen, Davis, How, & Schoenbaum, 2006). The Gallup Organizations 2006 annual poll on professional honesty and ethical standards ranked nurses as number one in terms of public respect (Saad, 2006). In today's era of healthcare reform, the caregiving equation is changing. President Obama also appointed Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, as administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Legislators are influenced by a variety of groups in determining their positions on pending legislation. (2006). It's time we use our voices not only at the bedside, but in the legislature as well. Nurses are in a unique position to share their expertise and knowledge when meeting with power players to educate them, to urge them to action, and to hold them accountable when their positions and voting records dont match their rhetoric. These are just some of the states where nurses are serving their patients in a new setting: the state legislature. The The Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act is an important step to protect workers' rights to organize a union and to stop employers' attacks so that every worker can organize without fear of retaliation. The legislative arena is a highly competitive environment where there are no guarantees of success for even the most reasonable proposal. The power of nurses in the legislative process - PubMed Multiple states (including Ohio) don't allow full practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Proposed legislation is given the most intensive consideration at the committee stage. Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) has long been one of the leading voices for the needs of nurses and their patients. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Two Nurses Serving in Congress Discuss Nurse Leadership. &. Rep. Capps: I founded the Congressional Nursing Caucus in 2003 and continue to serve as its co-chair because it allows me to work closely with my colleagues to address some of the most pressing health concerns facing Americans. & Raven, B. That is why I always lead a bipartisan effort to keep this program strong. Successful advocacy to bring about changes in the health care system demands access to the resources of power, will, time, and energy, along with necessary political skills. Even though you may not be invited to testify in person at a committee hearing, there are still opportunities to communicate your position to committee members and or their staff and to explore who supports the bill and who opposes it. Advocacy is defined as the act of supporting a cause in the pursuit of influencing an outcome. (2nd Ed.). Be a resource now and in the future by showing that you can be counted on to provide more data or other relevant information. Health policy is a set course of action (or inaction) undertaken by governments or health care organizations to obtain a desired health outcome (Cherry & Trotter Betts, 2005). We may not be eager to pay the taxes, yet we do not want to face the negative consequences of not paying up. More than 1,000 nursing and healthcare related bills introduced in state legislatures each session are reviewed. Before coming to Congress, Bass made history when the California Assembly elected her to be its 67th Speakerthe first African-American woman in the country to serve in this powerful role. With health care at the forefront of national debate right now, understanding the issue from the perspective of patients as well as health care providers gives me great insight into how policies will affect everyone involved in our health care system. Most recently Medicare Part D, an optional prescription drug program available for Medicare beneficiaries, has been added. Added into the mix are the partisan agendas of the two political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. The ratios differ, depending on the . If there is no interest or willingness to employ the power, it remains only a potential resource. Together we bring a unique perspective to the policy debates of the day. Human Capital Blog: Prior to running for Congress, you worked as a nurse and a nursing instructor. Shop talk for researchers. Why Nurses Should Be Guiding, Making Health Policy: Rep. Underwood It is an interactive process with multiple points of access providing opportunities to influence the multiple decision makers involved at each stage. For National Nurses Week, two nurses who serve in the U.S. House of Representatives share their views on nurse leadership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Human Capital Blog. lwilmot@seton.org; PMID: 19285183 DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2008.10.015 No abstract available. 1, Manuscript 2. Legislators don't have to listen to lobbyists who are often characterized as hired guns, but elected officials must be accountable to their constituents who keep them in office. Nurses have done this through initiating policy proposals, changing or vetoing others proposals, and/or substantially influencing the implementation of health policy. Under her leadership, HRSA is expanding and improving the health care provided to vulnerable populations. Success accepts challenges in addressing injustices especially within the health-care arena. Cori Bush (first Congressional District of Missouri) earned a diploma in nursing and worked as a triage nurse before entering politics. Get funded by RWJF: Receive notifications when new funding opportunities are released. She started her long career in health care and policy as a nurse in Richmond, Virginia, and now oversees a federal agency with a $820 billion budget, which ensures healthcare coverage for more than 100 million Americans. Expert power is the basis for collaboration and for advocacy in a variety of settings including the legislative arena and it provides nurses with considerable credibility to speak out on health care issues. Yet, nurses do not need a degree in health policy to become strong advocates for policy change. The physician surplus and the decline of professional dominance. This program had disastrous effects on our states health care system and budget, which led me to run successfully for office in the Tennessee state Legislature. Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends & management (pp.211-233). The ability to successfully exert influence in the various arenas where future health care policy decisions are made and to take advantage of opportunities to present nursings perspective on the health care issues depends on having a power base and knowing where and when to exert that influence. Copyright 2019, SLACK Incorporated. There are always contingencies. You'll most likely meet with a legislative assistant (LA) who handles specific issues for the official, such as the health LA, or possibly a legislative clerk or intern. Referent power is also a source of power available to nurse policy advocates. This article describes a strategy that can inform legislators about the contemporary nursing role and its influence on patient safety, as well as raise nurse awareness of the professional responsibility for political advocacy and how to engage in this role. VIDEO ANSWER:A nurses influence on the health policy in order to protect the quality of care by the axis required to be causes and the opportunities, and it is an important concept of nursing. Another reason may be that advocacy beyond the patient care environment has never been expected. Health Affairs Web Exclusive, September 20, 2006. She has drawn from those experiences to become a champion on a number of healthcare and public safety issues. The location of decision making in the public or the private sector, the scope of the issue, and the nature of the policy all have an impact on the characteristics of a policy (Thurber,1996). All rights reserved. In 1992, Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) became the first registered nurse (RN) elected to Congress, where she continues to serve today. Nurses are integral to addressing these health care demands as they work in all health care fields and are linked to lowered health care costs, improved health care quality, and increased health care access. Texas Nursing 74(10), 4-6. Lastly, there is coercive power which is the opposite of reward power. Once one is aware of a situation in which a change in policy would improve the health care environment or the delivery system, one can move to exploring the pros and cons of possible solutions, and then work to get others interested and involved in the issue. Rep. Black:Nurses undergo significant training so that they can perform their jobs under long, often off-peak hours, and under some of the most stressful and time-sensitive conditions. Nurses have one of the better views of the health care challenges facing providers and patients and the very real impact of problems within the health care system, such as the existing nursing shortage. Nursings social policy statement. This information can be easily obtained from membership in a professional association. Americans have entrusted us with their confidence to build a better system. . You do not need to run for Congress to have an impact on policythere are many ways to be involved in advocacy with local and national organizations. Nurses Serving in Congress Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) Congresswoman Lauren Underwood serves Illinois' 14th Congressional district and was sworn into the 116th U.S. Congress on January 3, 2019. APRN State Law and Regulation | Advocacy | ANA Enterprise As a nurse in Tennessee, I had a firsthand look at the state-level pilot program for the Hillary Clinton health care overhaul known as TennCare.
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