Nurses should advocate for policy issues by getting involved in lobbying. The American Nurses Association believes it is nurses' responsibility to advocate for patient safety, care standards, and healthy work environments. Nurses can make a difference by participating in professional organizations, staying informed on issues, and contacting legislators. When lobbying, nurses should keep messages short and focused, build relationships with legislative staff, and time requests appropriately in the legislative process.

1. ask an expert
www.NursingMadeIncrediblyEasy.com January/February 2017
Nursing made Incredibly Easy! 55
Be a legislative advocate
By Lisa Lockhart, MHA, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Q: As nurses, when we feel
strongly about a practice issue,
should we consider lobbying?
A: The American Nurses Association
(ANA) believes that it’s our responsibility
as nursing professionals to be involved in
advocating for patient safety, care stan-
dards, and healthy work environments.
The ANA is a strong voice for America’s
nurses and is among the most powerful
lobbying groups in Washington, D.C. Not
alone in its fi ght for nursing quality and
safety, the ANA is joined and supported
by our professional organizations, state

2. boards of nursing, and advocacy groups.
These include the American Academy of
Nursing, the American Nurses Credential-
ing Center, and the American Nurses
Foundation.
Participating in your local, specialty,
or state organizations can help you give
voice to your concerns as an engaged pro-
fessional. You have the ability to build,
shape, and alter current laws, effectively
changing legislation by joining forces with
your peers. To simply complain about
staffi ng ratios, the Affordable Care Act,
and unhealthy work environments is just
that—complaining. But by being involved,
we have a large and potentially powerful
voice for safety and quality when you con-
sider that we’re 3.6 million strong!

3. Our power as an educated workforce
must be harnessed and used purposefully
to effect change. The Institute of Medicine
and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
understood this when they launched The
Future of Nursing report. This doesn’t
necessarily mean that you have to go to
Washington and lobby; it means advocating
at the organizational, state, or federal level.
Stay abreast of what’s going on in your
state and nationally, be an active participant
in professional organizations, vote for legis-
lators who share your healthcare policy and
regulation views, and join internal commit-
tees where nurses at your facility review
policies and procedures. You can make a
difference.
If you decide to give lobbying a try, here

4. are tips on how to lobby Congress from the
American Academy of Ambulatory Nursing:
“• keep it short and to the point
• don’t forget to say ‘thank you’
• get to know the legislator’s staff (It’s
frequently more productive to speak to
a staff member than the lawmakers
themselves.)
• tell the whole story by acknowledging
when something is diffi cult and when
there’s opposition
• timing is everything (It’s important to
know Congressional procedures, so men-
tion proper deadlines and don’t ask for
requests at the last minute.)
• have a one-page written draft of what
you want available to leave or send to the
legislator

5. • be professional even when the answer
is ‘no;’ regroup and wait for another
chance.” ■
REFERENCES
American Nurses Association. Policy and advocacy.
www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-
Advocacy.
The Institute of Medicine. The future of nursing: leading
change, advancing health. www.nationalacademies.org/
hmd/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-
Change-Advancing-Health.aspx.
Phillips RC. The ABCs of lobbying. https://www.aaacn.
org/abcs-lobbying.
Lisa Lockhart is a Nurse Manager at KentuckyOne Health, Saint
Joseph Health System, in Lexington, Ky., and a Nursing made
Incredibly Easy! Editorial Board Member.
The author has disclosed no financial relationships related to
this
article.
DOI-10.1097/01.NME.0000508545.37069.ed
Copyright © 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Points allocation: Communicating With Your Legislator

6. As part of the class on Health Policy and Politics, students are
required to write a letter to their legislator. The letters to the
legislator will be evaluated for content, form, and clarity. Five
points will be deducted each day the paper is late.
Grading Criteria
Informing the legislator about the constituents who are affected
by the bill; suggest visits to programs in his or her area.
10 points
Clearly identify the bill, using title and number.
5 points
Addressing your letter to the appropriate legislator.
5 points
Identify yourself (occupation, hometown, member of
organization, i.e. ASNA).
5 points
Type the letter using correct grammar, punctuation, and
spelling.
Be courteous, brief, and to the point.
10 points
Provide pertinent reasons for your stand. Be constructive, and
provide expert knowledge when possible. Reasons were
expressed in a clear and organized manner.
25 points
Show your legislator how the issue relates to his or her district.
25 points
Write letters at appropriate times, for example, when a bill is in
committee request action that is appropriate for that stage in the
legislative process.
5 points
Attach a brief summary of the bill along with your letter.
10 points
Letter to the Legislator
Communicating With Your Legislator–

7. As part of the class on Health Policy and Politics, students are
required to write a letter to their legislator. The letters to the
legislator will be evaluated for content, form, and clarity.
This assignment will help the student become an active
participant in the policy-making arena, which directly affects
the nursing profession and our country at large. Included are
suggestions for effective written communication to your
legislator. The importance of letter writing should not be
underestimated as it has been rated by Congress as the number
one means of communicating with the legislator. Letters that are
written to the legislator are usually reviewed by staff and the
various view points are tabulated. Letters with significant
opinions or information are directed to the legislator for
individual consideration. It is important to note that form letters
and post cards receive the least amount of attention from the
legislator. Therefore, it is most appropriate to create a letter
which is thoughtful and reflects an informed opinion.
You (the student) are required to create a letter to the legislator
in your home district related to a current senate/house bill. You
will choose a current health care legislative issue and draft a
well written letter to your legislator discussing your opinion
regarding the bill. Search http://mlis.state.md.us/#bill to find a
health care related bill of interest to you. Attach a brief
summary of the bill along with your letter.
When writing your letter, always refer to the issue by its bill
name and number. You can look up the name and address of
your local legislator at http://mlis.state.md.us. The following
page outlines is a list of specific do's and don'ts that you should
consider when writing to your legislator.
Communicating With Your Legislator

8. As part of the class on Health Policy and Politics, students are
required to write a letter to their legislator. The letters to the
legislator will be evaluated for content, form, and clarity. Five
points will be deducted each day the paper is late.
Grading Criteria
Informing the legislator about the constituents who are affected
by the bill; suggest visits to programs in his or her area.
10 points
Clearly identify the bill, using title and number.
5 points
Addressing your letter to the appropriate legislator.
5 points
Identify yourself (occupation, hometown, member of
organization, i.e. ASNA).
5 points
Type the letter using correct grammar, punctuation, and
spelling.
Be courteous, brief, and to the point.
10 points
Provide pertinent reasons for your stand. Be constructive, and
provide expert knowledge when possible. Reasons were
expressed in a clear and organized manner.
25 points
Show your legislator how the issue relates to his or her district.
25 points
Write letters at appropriate times, for example, when a bill is in
committee request action that is appropriate for that stage in the
legislative process.
5 points
Attach a brief summary of the bill along with your letter.
10 points
***~~ See ‘Be a legislative advocate’, By Lisa Lockhart, MHA,
MSN, RN, NE-BC
January/February 2017 Nursing made Incredibly Easy! 55