Letter to the Legislator - Communicating With Your Legislator

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www.NursingMadeIncrediblyEasy.com January/February 2017 Nursing made Incredibly Easy! 55

Be a legislative advocate By Lisa Lockhart, MHA, MSN, RN, NE-BC

Q: As nurses, when we feel strongly about a practice issue, should we consider lobbying? A: The American Nurses Association (ANA) believes that it’s our responsibility

as nursing professionals to be involved in

advocating for patient safety, care stan-

dards, and healthy work environments.

The ANA is a strong voice for America’s

nurses and is among the most powerful

lobbying groups in Washington, D.C. Not

alone in its fi ght for nursing quality and

safety, the ANA is joined and supported

by our professional organizations, state

boards of nursing, and advocacy groups.

These include the American Academy of

Nursing, the American Nurses Credential-

ing Center, and the American Nurses

Foundation.

Participating in your local, specialty,

or state organizations can help you give

voice to your concerns as an engaged pro-

fessional. You have the ability to build,

shape, and alter current laws, effectively

changing legislation by joining forces with

your peers. To simply complain about

staffi ng ratios, the Affordable Care Act,

and unhealthy work environments is just

that—complaining. But by being involved,

we have a large and potentially powerful

voice for safety and quality when you con-

sider that we’re 3.6 million strong!

Our power as an educated workforce

must be harnessed and used purposefully

to effect change. The Institute of Medicine

and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

understood this when they launched The

Future of Nursing report. This doesn’t

necessarily mean that you have to go to

Washington and lobby; it means advocating

at the organizational, state, or federal level.

Stay abreast of what’s going on in your

state and nationally, be an active participant

in professional organizations, vote for legis-

lators who share your healthcare policy and

regulation views, and join internal commit-

tees where nurses at your facility review

policies and procedures. You can make a

difference.

If you decide to give lobbying a try, here

are tips on how to lobby Congress from the

American Academy of Ambulatory Nursing:

“• keep it short and to the point

• don’t forget to say ‘thank you’

• get to know the legislator’s staff (It’s

frequently more productive to speak to

a staff member than the lawmakers

themselves.)

• tell the whole story by acknowledging

when something is diffi cult and when

there’s opposition

• timing is everything (It’s important to

know Congressional procedures, so men-

tion proper deadlines and don’t ask for

requests at the last minute.)

• have a one-page written draft of what

you want available to leave or send to the

legislator

• be professional even when the answer

is ‘no;’ regroup and wait for another

chance.” ■

REFERENCES

American Nurses Association. Policy and advocacy. www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy- Advocacy.

The Institute of Medicine. The future of nursing: leading change, advancing health. www.nationalacademies.org/ hmd/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading- Change-Advancing-Health.aspx.

Phillips RC. The ABCs of lobbying. https://www.aaacn. org/abcs-lobbying.

Lisa Lockhart is a Nurse Manager at KentuckyOne Health, Saint Joseph Health System, in Lexington, Ky., and a Nursing made Incredibly Easy! Editorial Board Member.

The author has disclosed no financial relationships related to this article.

DOI-10.1097/01.NME.0000508545.37069.ed

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