Health Policy and Advocacy

​ Committee

(Formerly named the Legislation Education Committee)

"Supporting. Leading. Engaging."

Nikule Abel
Director
University of Nevada Las Vegas
​Las Vegas, NV
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What is the Role of the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee?

The committee is responsible for engaging members in the implementation of resolutions related to health policy and advocacy. NSNA is not a lobbying organization: NSNA informs and teaches members about health policy and advocacy. 

Nikule Abel, Director and Chair,
​Health Policy and Advocacy Committee Winter-Spring Memo

Hello NSNA! I hope your spring semester is going well. I'm excited to share several updates with you thanks to our Health Policy and Advocacy Committee's hard work!

First, I want to begin by thanking all the NSNA members who attended the NSNA Virtual MidYear Conference. As we approach the NSNA 69th Annual Convention, we want to remind members of the Get Out the Vote Award and the Health Policy and Advocacy Award for school and state chapters.

The Health Policy and Advocacy Committee have been working hard to champion the NSNA values of leadership and professionalism. To that end, we are proud to report we have accomplished many of our goals and we seek to do even more for the members of the NSNA by reaching out to our state associations. What unites us as nursing students is our shared commitment to patient advocacy. Our advocacy must go beyond the patient's room to the meeting room. This committee has been working to advocate for important issues. 

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Nikule Abel, 2020-2021 Director and Chair, Health Policy and Advocacy Committee Speaks on "Supporting. Leading. Engaging."

Nikule Abel, NSNA 2020-2021 Director and Chair, Health Policy and Advocacy Committee speaks on "Supporting. Leading. Engaging" during the 2020 Summer Leadership U Conference.

Get Out the Vote
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It is our duty and right as United States citizens to vote, and it is our obligation as future professionals to monitor health and public assistance programs, funding for nursing education, and equal rights for all citizens of the United States. An excellent way to begin cultivating political awareness is by participating in the electoral process. The nursing profession has developed political savvy, and legislators listen to us. Legislators will pay closer attention to us when we can demonstrate that nurses and nursing students are showing up at the polls.
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Voter registration opportunities expanded significantly with thepassage of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. This act also referred to as the "Motor Voter," allows people to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver's license. Also, the Act requires states to offer voter registration to citizens at state‐funded service agencies (i.e., food stamp and Medicaid offices), unemployment compensation offices, public schools and public libraries. All states must also accept and use the mail‐in voter registration forms. Go to https://www.justice.gov/crt/about-national-voter-registration-act for more information on the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.​ Read More...
Additional Resources

Congress.gov
​Understanding policy overall is critical to understanding the nuances of healthcare policy.  Members can go to www.congress.gov to look up bills in the House of Representatives and Senate.  On Congress.gov members can review current legislative activities and complete congressional records. Those interested can also learn about bill sponsors, the status of a bill, and obtain full content of a bill. For more information please visit www.congress.gov.
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Image Courtesy of Congress.gov
A Hot Topic: Climate and Nursing
Dr. Barbara Sattler, Professor
University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Plenary Session - April 6, 2018
66th Annual Convention - Nashville, Tennessee

Health Policy and Advocacy Resources

In this video Adam Halvorsen, former NSNA Director, urges all nursing students to get out and vote.
​Click below to learn the basics of Health Policy and Advocacy Activities.
 
​Below are links to useful resources when planning Health Policy and Advocacy education activities:
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