Nurses Involvement in The Electoral Process

Nurses Involvement in The Electoral Process

Nurses Involvement in The Electoral Process

Nurses are citizens who exercise their right to participate in the country’s electoral process, significantly influencing health policy. In recent years, nurses’ involvement in the electoral process has become considerably more significant. The state and federal government significantly impact health care, especially embarking on implementing The Patient and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010. Generally, nursing practice is affected by health development, which is influenced by citizens’ (nurses’) political actions. Also, over the past few years, patient safety and quality access to affordable health coverage and costs, and outcomes as well, have gained media attention as a significant debate among the policymakers. Nurses participate in the electoral process to intensify national attention on nurses and the nursing practice. Nurses push for more numbers, education, code of practice, and the overall value to the health care system. Patient care and nursing practices are highly political matters (Themes, 2016). That is why nurses must actively engage in the policy process and use effective political action to develop health policies.

Nurses can ensure lawmakers hear their voices in several ways. Through lobbying, nurses can help legislators make informed decisions regarding nurse practice and the public’s interest. Legislators usually do not understand the nursing scope but can consult with professional inputs from constituents on nursing matters. Besides, nurses are best suited to speak out about public health. With years of experience in the profession, nurses’ opinions carry cultural and societal weight. Thus, their thoughts can significantly impact legislators’ debate on health issues (Carlson, 2016). Some legislators may have a background in the medical profession, but most depend on experts’ views in medicine and nursing and the public before enacting a health policy. Another way involves approaching directly while signing online petitions or formal letters is the most common method for sharing opinions. Another way is making a phone call to a legislator’s office carries more weight, as does in-person meetings.

References

Carlson, K. (2016, August 23). 3 ways to get your voice heard by lawmakers. Nurse.com Blog. /orders/www.nurse.com/blog/2016/08/12/3-ways-to-ge…

Themes, U. (2016, November 6). Health policy and politics: Get involved! Nurse Key. /orders/nursekey.com/health-policy-and-politics-ge…

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