Nursing Legislative Resources and Recommended Reading

Below are Nursing Legislative Resources that you can use when creating legislative projects at your school or educating the community.  These resources are made available from the
American Nurses Association (www.nursingworld.org),
the National League for Nursing (www.nln.org), and the National Student Nurses' Association.

American Nurses Association Legislative Resources 
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAPoliticalPower/Federal.aspx
Resources Available:

• Capitol Update
• Congressional Testimony
• Legislative Activities
• News/Action Alerts
• Political Action/Grassroots Activity
• Political​ Action Committee

National League for Nursing Legislative Resources 
http://www.nln.org/governmentaffairs/index.htm
Resources Available:

• How to Reach Elected Officials
• Issues and Legislation Effecting the Nursing Profession Elections and
• Candidate Information
• Links to Media Contacts

National Student Nurses Association Legislative Resources 
http://www.nsna.org

Resources Available:

• Getting the Pieces to Fit: NSNA Handbook for school and state associations
• Awards and Honors Booklet
• NSNA Guidelines to Resolutions 
• Resolutions adopted by NSNA House of Delegates past 10 years
• Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct and Interpretive Statements
• Code of Professional Conduct
• Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for Nursing Students
• Guidelines for Planning NSNA Activities:
• NSNA Bylaws
• Legislative Activities
• Resolution Handbook (How to Write a Resolution)
• Voter Registration and Get-Out-the-Vote Campaign
• Student Nursing State Associations Web Addresses 

  

Professional Nursing Organization Resource Lists 
Nursing Organizations Web Addresses 
http://www.nursing-alliance.org/content.cfm/id/members
http://www.nsna.org/CareerCenter/Associations.aspx

State Nurses Associations Web Addresses 
http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/AboutANA/WhoWeAre/CMA.aspx   

Government and Other Resources 
These sites provide information on the work registered nurses perform, current working conditions, training and other required job qualifications, advancement opportunities, job outlook, job earning, safety, and information about nursing and related occupations.

• The Registered Nurse Population : Findings from the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurvey2008.html
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurveys/rnsurveyfinal.pdf 

• Census Bureau

http://www.census.gov/  

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Formerly: Health Care Financing Administration 

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 
Resources Available:

• Medicare/Medicaid
• State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
• Consumer Product Safety Commission​ http://www.cpsc.gov/   
• Department of Commerce​ http://www.doc.gov/  
• Department of Health and Human Services:  http://www.dhhs.gov/  

​Resources Available:
Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (OS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Administration on Aging (AOA) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Indian Health Service (IHS) National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Minority Health (OMH), Program Support Center (PSC), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• Department of Justice​: www.usdoj.gov/  
• Environmental Protection Agency​: http://www.epa.gov/  
• Food and Drug Administration​: http://www.fda.gov/  
• National Transportation Safety Board​: http://ntsb.gov/  
• Social Security Administration​: http://www.ssa.gov/  

Helpful Legislative Resources Links

• Voter Registration Information​: http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/contact_your_state.aspx
• THOMAS - Legislative Information on the Internet (U.S. Congress)​: http://thomas.loc.gov/  
• US House of Representatives​: http://www.house.gov/
• US Senate​: http://www.senate.gov/  

Student Education Assistance—Nursing 
http://www.nsna.org/FoundationScholarships/FNSNAScholarships.aspx
http://www.nsna.org/FoundationScholarships/ScholarshipResources.aspx

This website funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides information on scholarships for disadvantages students, nursing student loans and faculty loan repayment programs, including state resources.
http://www.healthworkforceinfo.org/

• White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/  

This site provides current information on the President, Vice President, and their spouses. Its focus it to provide information on current presidential new and policy focuses.

Non-Profit Organization Resources

• American Society of Association Executives​: http://www.asaenet.org/main/ 

ASAE is considered the advocate for the nonprofit sector. The society is dedicated to advancing the value of voluntary associations to society and supporting the professionalism of the individuals who lead them. |
US Chamber of Commerce
http://www.uschamber.org/

Recommended Readings 

• Aiken, Tonia D. (1994). Legal, ethical and political issues in nursing. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis
• Barry, Jan. (2000). A Citizen's Guide to Grassroots Campaigns. New York: Rutgers University Press.
• Boykin, Anne. (1995). Power, Politics, and Public Policy - A Matter of Caring. National League for Nursing.
• Capital Update, The Legislative Newsletter for Nurses, published biweekly by the American Nurses Association, Department of Governmental Affairs, Washington, DC.
• De Vries, Chris and Vanderbilt, Marjorie. The Grassroots Lobbying Handbook: Empowering Nurses through Legislative & Political Action. Washington, DC: American Nurses Association.
• DeLaney, Ann. (2002). Politics For Dummies. 2nd Edition. New York: Hungry Minds.
• Guyer, Robert L., Guyer, Laura K. and Hoffmann, Michael H. (2000). Guide to State Legislative Lobbying. Washington: Engineering THE LAW, Inc.
• Imprint, The Publication for the National Student Nurses Association, published bimonthly by the National Student Nurses Association, New York.
• Kennedy, John F. (1956). Profiles in Courage. New York: Harper.
• Legislative and Regulatory Initiatives for the 107`h Congress. (2001). Washington, DC: American Nurses Association.
• Lewis, J.A. (1999). Politics, policy making and nursing. In Berger, K.J., & Williams, M. Collaborating for Optimal Health: The Fundamentals of Nursing, 2nd Ed. E. Norwalk, CT, Appleton & Lange, 49-67.
• Mason, Diana J., Talbott, Susan W. and Leavitt, Judith K. (2002). Policy and Politics for Nurses: Action and Change in the Workplace, Government, Organizations, and Community. 4th Edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company.
• Mason, D. & Chaffe, M. (2006) Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care. Philadelphia: Elsevier, Health Sciences Division.
• Nickitas, D., Middaugh, D. & Aries, N. (2010). Public Policy and Politics for Nurses and other Healthcare Professionals. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning
• Nicoll, Leslie H. (2001). Nurses' Guide to the Internet. 3rd Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott.
• Policy, politics & nursing practice, A Nursing Periodical, published quarterly by Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA.
• Positioned for power: obtaining government appointments for nurses. (1993). Washington, DC: American Nurses Association.
• RoAne, S. (2000). How to work a room. [Audio recording]. Audio Renaissance.
• Wittenberg, Ernest and Wittenberg, Elisabeth. (1990). How to Win in Washington: Very Practical Advice about Lobbying, the Grassroots, and the Media. New York: Blackwell Publishers
• The Power of Nursing, (videotape) examines the concept of power and how nurses are uniquely positioned to influence health policy. Available for rent or purchase from the National League for Nursing.
• A Case Study in Shaping Health Policy - The National Center for Nursing Research,  is an award-winning classic on how the legislative process works, and how nursing promoted a bill to establish the National Center for Nursing Research. Available for rent or purchase from the National League for Nursing.
• Washington Information Directory, Congressional Quarterly Inc., 1414 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC., 20037

Several state and federal government relations pamphlets are available from the League of Women Voters of the United States. Request their publication list.
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Check your school and public libraries for useful resources, you would be surprised what a "nursing and politics" or "nursing and legislation" search will find!