Every time you speak up for a patient’s needs, explain a complex diagnosis to a family member, or call a doctor to question a medication order, you’re practicing advocacy. It’s a fundamental part of the nursing DNA. But what happens when that advocacy in nursing moves beyond the bedside and into the boardroom, the community, or the state capital?
If you have ever looked at the broken parts of our healthcare system and thought, “Someone should fix this,” that someone might just be you. Here is how nurses are facilitating change and how you can join them.
Related CE podcast episode: Using Your Nursing Voice: The Nurse’s Role in Policy & Advocacy
Why nurses belong in policy
In a recent podcast episode, Dr. Candace Pierce sat down with Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, a nurse who took her advocacy to the highest levels of state government. It’s easy to feel like the world of policy and legislation is reserved for lawyers and career politicians. However, Lt. Gov. Rodriguez argues that nurses bring a perspective that’s often missing from legislative chambers: the human reality of healthcare.
Nurses are the most trusted profession in the United States, a title held for over two decades. This trust comes from years of being at the bedside, holding patients’ hands, navigating crises, and understanding the social determinants of health that no prescription pad can fix.
When policymakers discuss housing shortages, food deserts, or insurance gaps, they’re often looking at spreadsheets. Nurses, however, look at faces. You know that a patient’s health is determined less by the medicine they receive and more by the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the roof over their heads. This firsthand knowledge of how policy impacts real people makes the nursing voice incredibly powerful.
Related CE podcast for nurses: Reclassifying Healthcare Degrees: Understanding the DOE’s Proposed Policy Change
The problem-solving skill set
Beyond empathy, nurses possess a practical skill set that translates perfectly to advocacy:
- Evidence-based decision making: Nurses are scientists. When a policy is proposed that restricts care or contradicts medical biology, nurses are the ones asking, “Where is the evidence?” You are trained to rely on data, not opinions, ensuring that laws are grounded in reality.
- Conflict resolution: You have difficult conversations every day. Whether it’s de-escalating an angry family member or advocating for a patient with a physician who disagrees, you know how to navigate high-stakes discussions with professionalism and respect.
- Triage and prioritization: In policy, as in the ER, you cannot fix everything at once. Nurses know how to assess a situation, identify the most critical needs, and act efficiently.
Overcoming the barriers to advocacy
Despite these qualifications, the number of nurses in state and federal legislatures has dropped in recent years. Why the decline? The current political climate can be divisive and intimidating. It takes courage to step into the fray, especially for women, who often feel they need to be asked multiple times before running for office or applying for leadership roles.
Lt. Gov. Rodriguez noted that while men often self-select for these roles, women frequently disqualify themselves, thinking they lack the “right” background. But your background as a nurse is the right background. You do not need a law degree to understand how a law will affect a diabetic patient who cannot afford insulin. You do not need to be a CEO to understand how staffing shortages impact patient safety.
The barriers are real, but the cost of silence is higher. When nurses are not at the table, decisions are made about your profession and your patients without your input.
How to facilitate change: From bedside to boardroom
You do not have to run for Lieutenant Governor to be an advocate (though you certainly should consider it!). Advocacy happens on a spectrum, and there are impactful actions you can take right now within your community.
1. Know your legislators
Do you know who represents you at the local, state, and federal levels? If not, find out today. Most states have websites where you can simply enter your address to find your representatives.
Once you know who they are, reach out. Legislators get thousands of form letters, but a personal letter from a constituent, especially a nurse, carries weight. Share your expertise. If a healthcare bill is on the table, write to them and say, “I’m a nurse in your district, and this is how this legislation will affect my patients.”
2. Collaborate with organizations
Advocacy is a team sport. It’s difficult to make waves individually, but collectively, nurses are a force to be reckoned with. Join professional organizations like your state’s Nurses Association. These groups often have “lobby days” or “advocacy days” where you can visit the capital and speak directly with lawmakers in a coordinated, supported way.
If you’re passionate about a specific issue, like heart health, clean air, or gun violence prevention, find the organizations already doing that work. Groups like the American Heart Association or local environmental coalitions need the credibility that a nurse’s voice provides.
3. Start local
All politics is local. While national news gets the attention, decisions made by your city council, school board, or county board often have a more direct impact on your community’s health.
Consider serving on a local board. Is there a vacancy on your library board or a community health task force? These positions are often overlooked, yet they shape the environment in which your patients live. A nurse on a school board, for example, offers an invaluable perspective during public health crises or discussions on student mental health.
4. Share your stories
Data is essential, but stories change minds. Politicians are people, and they can be swayed by the human impact of their policies. When you speak to leaders, protect patient privacy, but share the reality of what you see.
Tell the story of the patient who delayed care because they lacked transportation. Describe the challenges of finding childcare that keeps parents out of the workforce. By putting a face to the policy, you make it impossible for leaders to ignore the consequences of their decisions.
The future of nursing advocacy
The decline in nurse representation in government is a trend we can reverse. It starts with recognizing that your voice matters. You are already an advocate; the next step is simply expanding your scope.
Whether you choose to write a letter, join a board, or eventually put your name on a ballot, know that your contribution is vital. We need nurses at every table where decisions are made.
