Get Involved in Nursing Policy

Image by Freepik

Healthcare is changing rapidly – and new policies are being decided each day despite the valuable input that could be provided by healthcare workers. With nurses making up the largest portion of the healthcare workforce, it is vital for them to have a seat at the table when it comes to new policy.

Why?

Nurses understand exactly how policy impacts patients and their communities. Until COVID-19, nurse involvement in policymaking has been limited, with reasons being lack of time, education, and limited resources. However, more nurses are beginning to get involved due to their realization of just how valuable their opinions can be.

Those who participate in policymaking are typically responsible for advocating different approaches, reviewing proposed changes, and organizing collaboration efforts with key stakeholders. They also advise governments, advocacy groups, and other policy professionals relating to healthcare. Getting involved comes in many forms such as meeting government officials or writing policy briefs and white papers.

If you’re interest is peaked, here are a few ways you can get involved in nursing policy:

Subscribe for Notifications

A good place to start is signing up for notifications on upcoming legislative meetings. There could be a lot of information on different committees and causes you otherwise wouldn’t know existed. Most state governments have information available online.

Attend Sessions

Attend local legislative sessions to learn how the system works and what it takes for decisions to be made. Once you know how things are going, it’ll be much easier to begin influencing decision-makers.

Education

Once you have learned about policymaking, sharing your knowledge with the public can give you the opportunity to build a community with like-minded people. The easiest way to start this is via your social media.