Nurses Involved in Government - How to Affect Healthcare Policy

No matter which side you’re on when it comes to this week’s election - Democrat, Republican, or Third Party - you have a unique view of our healthcare system as a nurse. There are opportunities to affect change regardless of how the vote turns out. 

You have hands-on experience in healthcare. You understand how healthcare policy in place today affects staffing and patient care better than most lawmakers, and your voice should be heard. 

While it may not be possible to run for office or make a huge commitment to changing healthcare policy due to your hectic work schedule and personal life, it is possible to make a big impact in small ways. Without your involvement, it will be left to legislators, who may have no healthcare experience, to make health-related decisions that could impact us for years to come.

Joining nurses involved in government can be intimidating, but it may surprise you how easy it is for you to get involved and begin educating others about nurses’ needs.

Here are 8 ways you can begin to affect change 

1. Participate in National and State Nurse Associations

Most nurse associations, both at state and national levels, have groups who are responsible for lobbying our legislators in an effort to impact healthcare policy. Join The American Nurses Association, the American Academy of Nursing, and/or you state nurses’ association to become involved. 

And once you’re a member, you’ll need to take steps to actually participate in the organization. Contact its advocacy board to find out ways you can help whether it’s writing letters, making phone calls to elected representatives, or some other way. 

2. Subscribe to Legislative Notifications

There are so many factors affecting healthcare, and there are almost certainly causes and committees you aren’t even aware of today. An easy way to learn about current bills is to subscribe to legislative notifications. 

All you need to do is type “[state name] legislative notifications” into your search bar, and you’ll get a list of places you can review current bills up for debate and receive notifications of future bills that impact your area of interest. 

3. Attend Legislative Sessions

It’s important to understand exactly how the legislative process works including how decisions are made before you attempt to make changes in healthcare policy. You can gain this knowledge by attending legislative sessions at either the state or federal level. 

Nurses involved in government will be able to have a greater impact on healthcare policy change when they take the time to understand the legislative process. This knowledge will allow them to effectively influence policy making in a way that lobbyists and legislators understand. It also shows your willingness to learn and work within government systems. 

4. Educate Other Nurses involved in Government and the Public

Many people do not understand how government policies are made. Once you’ve gotten involved in a national or state association, attended legislative sessions, and read through some of the current bills, you will have invaluable knowledge of the legislative process that you can pass on to other nurses and the general public. 

Social media provides a great opportunity for sharing information with other nurses involved in government and those who are looking for ways to affect healthcare policy decisions. By using whichever social platform you choose, it becomes much easier to raise awareness and encourage others to do their part in affecting change. 

5. Build Relationships with Lawmakers

The most effective way to influence someone’s opinion is to build a relationship with them. Find out the lawmakers who are responsible for working on healthcare policy in your state, and write to them. 

Writing letters opens the door for a response, which in turn opens the door for a two-way conversation. Your personal hands-on experience in healthcare will increase the likelihood of you communicating with lawmakers personally, rather than an aide, however, you will need to be prepared that building these relationships takes time. 

Working with lawmakers on smaller nursing issues directly related to your experience will build credibility and may eventually lead to you becoming a trusted source of information when larger issues arise. Don’t underestimate the power of your personal experience. These stories personalize an issue and show lawmakers how decisions may directly affect their constituents. 

6. Work with Lobbyists & Provide Evidence-Based Data

If you’re not ready to become a lobbyist yourself, you still have the opportunity to join nurses involved in government by collaborating with other lobbyists. 

Legislators should be making decisions using evidenced-based data, but it is much easier to interpret medical literature when you have a background in healthcare. As a nurse, you can help interpret data, and provide the evidence needed to convince state and federal lawmakers how to vote in order to improve healthcare. 

Be prepared to explain complex medical data in terms that those inexperienced with healthcare can understand, and provide the research to back up your claims so the information can be easily confirmed. You also need to be aware of limitations in the studies you are presenting because other interest groups will be looking for flaws in the evidence provided. 

7. Support a Local Candidate

While it might be too late to throw in your support for the outcome of this election, it’s never too late to start building relationships with candidates whose views align with yours for future elections, especially if the votes don’t swing their way this time. 

8. Run for Office

It’s definitely not for everyone, but running for office and officially becoming one of the frontline nurses involved in government is a powerful way to influence healthcare policy that directly impacts nurses, patient care, and the healthcare system in general. 

A great way to begin your career as a nurse politician is to run for local office where you will likely be able to influence decisions that impact public health and hospital administration in your community. 

You Have a Choice to Impact Healthcare Policy 

You have a unique opportunity to join other nurses involved in government as you take large or small steps to get engaged in healthcare policy. However you choose to get involved, know that the steps you take today can have a big impact on local, state, and even federal healthcare policies in the future. 

Getting the Education You Need for Greater Impact

It’s no secret that more education and experience in nursing means you are more likely to be viewed as a trusted source of information. Get the education you need to make the biggest impact you can as you strive to impact healthcare policy. Whether you need to make a move from LPN to RN, LPN to BSN, RN to BSN, or beyond; Achieve provides flexible, online programs that you can complete while you continue to work and gain invaluable nursing experience.

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