Have you ever written to your Congressman regarding the nursing profession.

[Brian]

Here are the results of last months survey question

Have you ever written to your Congressman to voice your approval or disapproval of pending bills/legislation that impact the nursing profession? :

Please feel free to read and post any comments that you have right here in this discussion thread by clicking the "Post Reply" button.

Thanks

[RNforLongTime]

Earlier this year, my local District Nurses Association, a member of the ONA and ANA, sent letters out to our local state and national congresspeople. I did get a reply from both of my local representatives, nothing much just a form letter. But every little bit helps!

[breanna]

I have written, called, visited, even in their DC offices. Being one of many doing it, the results happened. Yes, there IS strength, in numbers. But we have to be counted. Phone calls, e-mails are powerful! EACH one!

When I can, and hey, it is only every two years, I work on a campaign or two. You get special treatment by your winning candidate. I have helped others do their volunteer work, then called same to find a co-sponsor for a bill and it happened!

You GO girls and guys! There is power here!

[-jt]

Dont be disappointed with a form letter. Whats important is that your letter was read, noted, & documented. The more letters, phone calls, postcards, and visits on a particular subject, the more attention is paid to it by the legislator.

The calls and letters on any issue are all counted & the legislators give priority to the ones they were contacted about most often. You may have gotten a form letter reply back but understand that your issues were noted & the legislators aides are counting how many more letters, calls, cards they get on it from others. Thats how the get their direction - from the constituents. Dont think that the form letter reply means your letter was disregarded. It wasnt. The issues you wrote about in your letter are monitored & the number of letters they receive on those issues is tracked.

Also, the Federal representatives check with their local state legislators to see what their state legislature is doing about those issues & how much of a response it has gotten from its constituents on them. If its important enough for many letters & calls, its important enough for their attention.

Thats why its imperative that all nurses in every city bombard their elected officials - State & Federal - on the issues important to us.

Dont let the form letter reply fool you into thinking they arent paying attention to what you said. Get your friends & co-workers to send their own letters to support & follow up yours. It makes a difference.

[askater]

I have written letters to numerous newspaper's. E-mailed the Oprah show. I have written letter's and voiced my opinion and concern's to the hospital administrator's. But never have written a congressman.

I certainly will. Is anyone from Michigan? I don't know who to write to? Or the address? Thanks a lot!!!

[Dayannight]

jt is right - don't be discouraged by a generic response. Long before I became a nurse, one of my first jobs was working in the district office of a Congressman. The number of calls and letters he received on specific issues were noted, and I'm sure had an impact on his decisions. Never give up!

[-jt]

Below is the link to an article about something nurses did on just one night in 1998 all across the country. In my community & state, this ended up in getting our legislators on our side & sponsoring/supporting every single one of our issues & bills ever since. My state Assemblyman and federal Congressman are mentioned in this article, as well as what one of our local nursing school instructors did to mobilize them. Nurses have tremendous support, respect & clout in the political arena of my state - largely because of the networking and educating of legislators that comes from this kind of activity & because nurses contact them regularly:

Hundreds of RNs Across The Country Showed That Nurses C.A.N.

http://www.ana.org/tan/98novdec/nursecan.htm

and then we did it again in 2000 & 2001.

http://www.ana.org/pressrel/2000/rncanrel.htm

http://www.ana.org/gova/federal/galobby.htm

Those were large scale national efforts. Even just local simple things like mailing a postcard or making a phone call is enough to be heard. During campaigns, an offer to help a few hours in their office or make phone calls for them gets you an "in" and they are happy to help when you call back with your issues.

You can find your Representative at http://www.house.gov under "House Directory" and your Senators at http://www.senate.gov

Your local state leaders addresses can be found at your state's official website.

[-jt]

If nurses in Oregon hadn't written their legislators, THIS never would have become a reality:

The Safe Nursing Care Act HB 2800 Becomes LAW

First in the Nation!

Elements of the new law include:

Staffing Standards

Staffing Plan Variances for Rural Facilities

Mandatory Overtime Restrictions

Patient Abandonment

Whistleblower Protections

Whistleblower Remedies - for nurses who have suffered retaliation by employers

Posting of Whistleblower law in every facility

Enforcement - penalties to the facility for violations of any element of this law >>

http://www.oregonrn.org/hb2800law.php

Congratulations are in order for those nurses.

[kellysue]

writing an elected official was a required assignment while i was in the LPN program. I never got a response but I got a good grade!

[hadit]

I did this past summer, emailed the CO governor. Got a paper letter back. I recently wrote the elected legislators on the state level about health insurance and nursing issues. I even gave them a link to this board so they could read themselves.

This is an easy way to email or find who to write:

http://capwiz.com/befearless/dbq/officials/

[RyanRN]

LOL Kellysue

My sister was an adm. asst to Florida state senator. She often particpated when they were in session. Many, many times she told me that in essence, not exactly these words THE SQUEAKLY WHEEL GETS THE OIL She meant it.She has seen bill pass because of ONE persisent, noisy, inyourface type person. When these politicians are confronted face to face with their constituents THAT"S who they remember and thats who they deal with.

Human nature, you confont people head on they deal with you and your focus. So better than writing get yourself to these meetings and forums.