Ways for Nurses to Influence the Lawmaking Process

Ways for Nurses to Influence the Lawmaking Process

There are two main ways in which nurses can impact the passage of a bill through the Congress. Firstly, nurses can act as constituents, individual members of the electorate in their district (Mason et al., 2015). Secondly, nurses can work as part of influential nursing associations that lobby Congress, including the American Nurses Association, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and others (Mason et al., 2015). The second option allows nurses to act with the support of other advocates and gain more collective power, thus being more effective in influencing the passage of a bill. Many nurses are members of professional associations, and it is easy for them to obtain support from fellow nurses.

Nurses’ Role in Policy Changes Affecting Social Determinants

Social determinants have a significant impact on people’s health, and thus often require policy action. The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP, 2014) states that social determinants of health include factors such as public safety, social support, availability of resources, access to jobs and education, culture, and social attitudes. The social determinant selected for this assignment is socioeconomic conditions. Research shows that low socioeconomic status has a critical effect on health, particularly because it affects people’s living conditions and their access to health care (Lago et al., 2018). An example of a legislative action that could help to address this problem is opening health clinics providing free health services to low-income communities.

Nurses can play a role of patient advocates in promoting this legislative change. For instance, they could obtain support from a professional association, such as the ANA, and draw attention of Congress members to the problem by sending letters or arranging face-to-face meetings with a local representative. Then, nurses can provide the chosen member of the Congress with information to help draft the bill and offer testimony to committees and subcommittees engaged in the further stages of the process.

References

Lago, S., Cantarero, D., Rivera, B., Pascual, M., Blázquez-Fernández, C., Casal, B., & Reyes, F. (2018). Socioeconomic status, health inequalities and non-communicable diseases: A systematic review. Journal of Public Health, 26(1), 1-14.