New ANA Program Encourages Nurse Advocacy

• Practitioners interested in nurse advocacy outside of their normal duties have another avenue to get involved.
• The American Nurses Association just launched its Nurse Action Society to help its members “engage with federal officials” and advance the organization’s public policy priorities.
• Some research believs nurses have a “social responsibility” to take part in advocacy efforts for the betterment of public health.

Nurses who are interested in advocating for legislation and policy initiatives that benefit the nursing industry have a new path to do so. 

The American Nurses Assocation (ANA) last week launched the Nurse Action Society (NAS), which will help ANA members “engage with federal officials and advance the public policy priorities of the nursing profession,” a news release stated. 

ANA’s initiative is the latest effort to foster public policy engagement among the nursing population. And it’s an effort some researchers believe nurses have a “social responsibility” to take part in. 

Empowering Nurse Advocacy

The NAS will give nurses “tools, resources, and exclusive opportunities” to improve their advocacy efforts, according to ANA. Benefits for what ANA calls “NAS ambassadors” include webinars, videos, and training sessions that go into detail on ANA’s policy positions along with networking events. 

Meanwhile, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Fellows program, which gives mid-career professionals a path to help shape health policy, just celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Marie Michnich, a former program director, told the National Academy of Medicine the program’s longevity can be attributed to its adaptability.

“[The fellows] have to understand how policy is made in Washington, D.C., and that changes over time,” Michnich said. “So [the program] has to adapt… The lecture that people gave in the ’70s is not going to be the same lecture that people are giving today.” 

David Keahy, 2015-16 fellow, provided the lone practitioner perspective when the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA) was up for discussion. He explained the country’s physician shortage and how nurse practitioners and physician assistants are, in many cases, primary providers for patients in rural areas. The measure passed, 92-2, giving NPs and PAs the authority to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.

Some nurses have taken the initiative to spread awareness of pending legislation on their own. Like Alexandra Stivers, a CRNA graduate student in North Carolina. She penned an editorial for the Charlotte Observer last week that championed the state’s Safe, Accessible, Value-Directed and Excellent healthcare (SAVE) Act. 

The measure, introduced by Rep. Donna McDowell White, would expand scope of practice and expand full-practice authority to APRN, but has seen little movement since last March. 

Others can advocate through their state nurses association. The Washington State Nurses Association, for example, is active in advocacy efforts, releasing a statement of priorities following the 2024 presidential election.

Why Should Nurses Be Public Policy Advocates?

Susane Phillips, DNP, professor and senior associate dean in UC Irvine’s Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, has been so heavily involved in advocacy efforts — particularly for removing barriers to APRN practice and improving community health — that she was honored for her work. She received the 2024 Outstanding Policy Award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. 

“It’s also very exciting to educate the next generation and to see their commitment to staying informed on the critical issues affecting the advanced practice of nursing and becoming engaged advocates for change that positively impacts the healthcare landscape,” Phillips said when the award was announced. 

But studies have found some hesitancy toward policy advocacy among nurses. 

A “Journal of Nursing Management” study, published in June, investigated what hinders nurses when it comes to participating in public policy and advocacy efforts. The following were identified as key barriers: 

• Lack of political interest and competence;
• Nursing education; 
• Restrictive organizational cultures; and
• Nursing profession’s political activities.

The authors suggested the creation of political education programs and “expanding opportunities for policy intervention” could increase participation. 

The Bottom Line

The American Nurses Association has launched the Nurse Action Society — a new venture that affords nurses the opportunity to advocate for public policies that will benefit the nursing industry and patients. It’s the latest initiative that encourages practitioners to take an active role in shaping policy that will affect their careers and the profession for years to come. 

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