Planting the health policy seed has become increasingly important to professional nursing organizations, nurse educators, and even nursing students who applaud the call for integrating health policy and advocacy content in today’s nursing curricula. As nursing students become acquainted with the policymaking process, they are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the various professional and specialty nursing organizations who advocate on behalf of the nursing profession and the patients/consumers they serve.
Numerous nursing organizations including the American Nurses Association (ANA), National Council State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and National League for Nursing (NLN), to name a few, work to ensure that nursing’s voice is represented during policy discussions on issues that impact health care delivery, patient outcomes, nursing workforce development, and other issues of concern to the profession. These and other organizations advocate to ensure that students have financial support to attend nursing school, have access to loan repayment programs, and support to advance their nursing education and training. These organizations work diligently to help ensure that today’s nursing workforce is well prepared to meet the demands of providing high-quality health care services in an ever-changing complex and challenging health care environment.
Suzanne Miyamoto
In this article, we present information about the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and share insights from AACN Chief Policy Officer Suzanne Miyamoto, PhD, FAAN, RN.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Since 1969, AACN has been a leader in advancing nursing education, research, and faculty practice. Moreover, AACN serves as a national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education. In addition to creating standards for designing and delivering quality nursing education programs, AACN represents over 810-member schools and colleges of nursing nationwide. The AACN has a Government Affairs Committee and a Health Policy Advisory Council that coordinate and spearhead several public policy initiatives and activities focused on advancing nursing education, research, and faculty practice. Currently, the association’s federal policy agenda focuses on four key areas: workforce, higher education, research, and models of care—all ongoing public policy imperatives.
Here, Miyamoto shares some insights about her organization and health policy advocacy.
Describe Your Role and the Role of the AACN in Preparing Today’s Nursing Students in Becoming Influential Advocates in the Health Policy Arena.
As Chief Policy Officer, I oversee AACN’s policy and advocacy work at the federal level working with all three branches of government. My role and that of our team can be described as strategist, lobbyist, and analyst. To ensure we meet the needs of our member organizations, the association has a Government Affairs Committee and Health Policy Advisory Council that provides guidance when we are reviewing legislative proposals or federal regulations. We want to ensure that what we support, oppose, or remain neutral on is in line with the experiences or challenges of our member institutions. AACN is in a unique position that we represent the schools of nursing, which includes the deans, faculty, and students. This requires our advocacy work to be nimble and abreast of the key issues Congress and the Administration are discussing. It is our role to not only develop the strategy but to educate and inform our membership on our position and why we take it. Information is the best offense and the best defense. That is why AACN fully supports all members of a nursing school to be engaged in our advocacy efforts. We have a grassroots network with other 11,000 students, faculty, and deans. This network has great potential to grow and offers real-time, advocacy opportunities.
What Are Some Top Priority Policy Issues Impacting the Profession and Health Care Today?
Some key issues impacting the profession today include
• Securing funding for Nursing Workforce Development Programs, Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Health Service Corps, among others
• The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (H.R. 959, S. 1109)
• Health reform
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• Opioid epidemic
What Can Students Do Within Their Area of Influence to Advocate for the Profession?
It is important that students stay informed of the issues. Students need to be active participants in their own learning. To understand what is happening at the federal level, a student must embrace the policy from multiple lens. It is not enough to read one source or one disciple. To truly garner the depth and breadth of the issue, the more voices, for and against, the better one’s understanding becomes. Securing a basic level of knowledge on an issue that may impact one’s education, research, or future practice is an excellent starting point.
Grassroots campaigns are central to any of our efforts. We can be more effective if we know how our national organizations are weighing in on issues. It’s also important to listen to all perspectives. Again, policy think tanks like the Center for American Progress or the Heritage Foundation may have different political viewpoints, but on some issues, they may see eye to eye. Their rationale for getting there may be different, but it is that difference that can help further an argument depending on the audience. Students can also join forces with faculty and others to reach out to legislators at the federal, state, and local level on issues important to nursing. Discussing issues with nursing faculty, who can serve as tremendous mentors for those interested in policy, can ignite a passion for this work in the future. That is how I came to seek a career in health policy and advocacy. It was the foresight of my faculty mentors who gave me the opportunities to succeed.
What Resources Are Available for Nursing Faculty Who Are Preparing the Next Generation of Health Policy Activists?
AACN established a Faculty Policy Think Tank that worked to prepare a set of recommendations for AACN’s Board of Directors on this exact question. The charge of the group was to inform and improve the state of health policy education in undergraduate and graduate education. The ultimate goal was to consider ways that will help create a generation of future nurses who understand the micro and macro drivers that impact policy—most importantly, how nurses in the future can continue to skillfully insert nursing expertise into policy discussions. The report was released in October 2017.
Turning to the continued need for policy advocacy at the student level, AACN also offers a three-day student policy summit open to undergraduate and graduate nursing students enrolled at AACN member institutions. The program helps to prepare students to engage in policy advocacy and the federal policymaking process. For more information, visit http://www.aacnnursing.org/Policy-Advocacy/Get-Involved/Student-Policy-Summit.
As mentioned earlier, AACN’s 2017–2018 Federal Policy Agenda is well suited to serve as a foundation for shaping policy discussions during online and classroom discussions as well as during virtual and/or actual lobby days. Students are encouraged to speak with their deans and faculty at their nursing programs to learn more about what’s happening within their institutions regarding public policy advocacy efforts that impact nursing education and nursing practice.
Very central to this discussion is the need for ongoing advocacy to secure funding to support Title VIII programs. Title VIII programs are administered under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. The Nursing Workforce Development Program (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act) continues to benefit countless numbers of nursing programs, practicing nurses, faculty, students, patients, and communities. In fact, numerous minority nurses continue to benefit from diversity grants because of Title VIII funding. During 2015–2016, the Nursing Workforce Diversity grants supported 7,337 students. Numerous other minority nurses, including minority nurse faculty, have received funding through this program to support their advanced nursing education or pay back student loans. To learn more about how Title VIII programs are making a difference for nursing students, practicing nurses, academic institutions, and communities at large, visit http://www.aacnnursing.org/Policy-Advocacy/Title-VIII-Community-Impact.
As a nursing student, speak with your faculty and professional organizations about how you can play a role in policy advocacy. Throughout nursing’s history, nurses have made a tremendous impact in advancing the profession and the delivery of health care by advocating for issues of importance to them. Developing your knowledge base about these and other issues impacting the profession is a great first step to becoming an influential advocate on behalf of the profession and the patients and communities you serve.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Student Policy Summit (Check for call for applications)
National League of Nursing
Advocacy and Public Policy Overview
National Council State Boards of Nursing
- Local Legislation Impacts Nursing and Those We Serve - April 25, 2020
- Gaining Policy Expertise and Influence Through Voluntary and Service Opportunities - January 30, 2020
- Access to Health Care: Platforms and Agendas for the 2020 Presidential Election - October 18, 2019
