Nursing political advocacy

Instructions: Offer constructive feedback to your classmates. Consider ways you can encourage them to step into a greater role of activism or elevate others to do so. Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format. Peer one Politics and Policy Self-Inventory Discussion In reflecting on the quiz and my provided answers, I find that though I am active in voting and keeping up on the political realm, I am not as comfortable with actively advocating . Though I will speak up to my immediate leadership when things are concerning or when patient safety issues arise, I usually do not actively engage in going to a higher level of leadership (corporate level) in order to voice my concerns. In reflecting on why this may be, I would say because I do not work in an environment where that is as acceptable or welcomed, though corporate level leadership thinks they are. In addition, another aspect or area of reflection per the quiz is in regards to unions. I have had the privilege of being a travel nurse and this led to me being able to practice in Washington state, which is welcoming to nursing unions. I enjoyed working for a state that allowed this because the hospital had to meet certain guidelines per the union contract which helped in providing safe guards as well as protections to the staff. I personally felt that I had more of a voice when working for that particular hospital as compared to where I work now, which is in a state that recognizes nursing unions as taboo. With recognizing this, I feel this is an area that I could use to change. Though there would be some feels of stress or defeat due to push back, this tends to come with change as change is not always welcomed with open arms. According to Han and Kim (2024), barriers which influence a lack of political involvement for nurses includes a lack of interest in politics, involvement in an organization that is not conducive to nurses participating in the political realm, or the nursing industries local or national affiliations in politics. Such barriers can impede the growth of nursing as a profession overall as nurses feel that they do not or may not ever have a voice that could facilitate change. In order to help encourage change, I could start with ensuring that I am a part of nursing associations such as the American Nurses Association. Furthermore, I could ensure to participate in the local state chapter as well as attend meetings to keep well informed on current policies as well as what is happening at the state and federal levels respectfully. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) (2026), nurses are great as advocates for their patients and for problems at the bedside, but could use more of a voice with legislative as well as political advocacy, which is what the ANA is intending to help accomplish. With professional nursing organizations such as the ANA, there is now a platform created to help nurses at the state level as well as within healthcare organizations to be able to advocate for change. Furthermore, the nursing organizations could be joined by many of my coworkers in order to help provide a stronger backing for enhancing political change locally. To take things to another level or to push for more advocacy, committees could be created within the healthcare organization in which we are employed to encourage more of the nursing workforce to have a voice as well as to learn about what is occurring politically and why nurses such as ourselves need to be the voice of change. Peer two Beginning with the “Politics and Policy Self-Inventories,” it is evident that I am working towards establishing a meaningful relationship with civic and organizational policy. Although there have been occasions when I voted and had some knowledge of who my elected representatives were, the lack of enthusiasm I feel in advocating for others demonstrates areas for me to grow professionally. Advocating politically is critical to nursing leadership because policy affects the accessibility, equity, and quality of care provided to diverse populations (Milstead & Short, 2021). While I do not intend to make significant changes at this time, building confidence as an advocate will provide the ability to be a stronger influencer in both your professional and patient’s life. Development as an advocate may occur through participating in community engagement and collaborations. By participating in community forums, health fairs, and local coalitions; you are able to take the clinical insights you have learned and apply them to the world of policy making. Educating patients and families about health issues, social determinates, and available resources creates opportunities for grassroots advocacy. As well as encouraging your peers to step outside of their comfort zone by providing a safe and respectful space to discuss ideas and model evidence based, nonpartisan communication methods; you begin to develop your peers as advocates. Developing peer relationships as advocates can be facilitated by mentorship and shared governance models (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2021). Developing a culture of advocacy and shared governance within your organization requires knowledge, credibility, and strategic partnership development. To lead, you need to understand how policies are developed within your organization, engage all interdisciplinary stakeholders and use data to support all policy proposal development. When you partner with professional organizations, you increase the strength of your voice and your influence and provide education on legislative priorities. Creating an environment that encourages the sharing of employee voices, while providing an opportunity to develop policies that meet the needs of employees, patients, and communities, is also key to successful leadership. Continued professional engagement, community involvement and evidence-based leadership allow nurses to create and implement policy initiatives that can positively impact healthcare delivery systems and population health outcomes.