Strategies for Nursing Advocacy

The best way to get involved in public health advocacy is by joining a nursing organization in my state where we can collectively push for policies impacting health in the community. Legislators are more likely to listen to or work with a structured organization than a single nurse or an individual. Therefore, there is a high likelihood that the legislators will well receive the policies the nursing organization pushes. Also, working with a nursing organization will offer more insights into how policy advocacy is performed and how to ensure that a policy receives the attention it needs. Nursing organizations comprise of nurses and nursing leaders, making them appropriate for policy advocacy. In the nursing organization, there will be nurses experienced in advocacy who can guide a newbie on advocacy. Learning under those who have gone before us will be beneficial because it will offer me practical skills that can be used in the future. There is power in numbers, and when a policy is pushed from the nursing organization, it will be seen to be coming from all the nurses who are members of the organization.

There are opportunities to get involved by disseminating information to patients, their families, and the community. We should understand that advocacy is multifaceted, and the more pressure we can put on legislators, the better. Informing patients, their families, and the community will allow them to push for healthcare improvements, and it will no longer be seen as nurses pushing for the agenda alone. Considering the interaction that a nurse has with patients, it is only practical they also use the opportunity to impart knowledge to the patients. Without knowledge, we cannot expect community members to know what to expect or how to engage their legislators. Therefore, disseminating information gives them an avenue to use when demanding changes.