How can a nurse become a nursing lobbyist?

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Med/Surg, Pedi.

Question: How can a nurse become a nursing lobbyist?

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.
Question: How can a nurse become a nursing lobbyist?

Well, anyone with the drive to make changes can become a "lobbyist." Anyone can write to their legislator or try to schedule a meeting on a particular issue or piece of legislation. Becoming a professional lobbyist is a bit of a different story.

I lobby part-time for a nursing organization here at home. I do that because prior to entering nursing, I worked as a legislative aide in both Washington and here in my state capitol. I also worked for our Governor for 6 years as a policy advisor. I left that work to go back to nursing school because I wanted a career that was a little more family-friendly and was tired of the hours and the idea of living election-to-election.

So, to lobby professionally for nursing, usually you need to have a government background. Most of the federal lobbyists for nursing organizations are contract lobbyists and not nurses. On the state level, I think that depends.

One of my passions is getting nurses more involved in the political process. I work here in our state to teach the legislative process to nurses and encourage them to make their voices heard. Doctors have a VERY LOUD voice in both state and federal government, and nurses (who outnumber doctors by a ton) need to do the same. If nurses all got involved, we would be quite a force. The problem I have found, however, is that nurses tend to stay in their own specialty and don't typically work to help others. RN's won't stand up for LPN's, APN's won't stand up for beside nurses, CRNA's won't stand up for CNM's, NP's won't stand up for CNS's...you get the idea. It's not that nurses don't want to help each other, it's just that nurses are usually women and women tend to have a million things (like a family) that keeps them too busy and on the sidelines of the political process. That is a generalization of course, but it seems to be true in my state and from what I have heard from other states as well.

I encourage anyone and everyone to get involved and make their voices heard!!!

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Well, anyone with the drive to make changes can become a "lobbyist." Anyone can write to their legislator or try to schedule a meeting on a particular issue or piece of legislation. Becoming a professional lobbyist is a bit of a different story.

I lobby part-time for a nursing organization here at home. I do that because prior to entering nursing, I worked as a legislative aide in both Washington and here in my state capitol. I also worked for our Governor for 6 years as a policy advisor. I left that work to go back to nursing school because I wanted a career that was a little more family-friendly and was tired of the hours and the idea of living election-to-election.

So, to lobby professionally for nursing, usually you need to have a government background. Most of the federal lobbyists for nursing organizations are contract lobbyists and not nurses. On the state level, I think that depends.

One of my passions is getting nurses more involved in the political process. I work here in our state to teach the legislative process to nurses and encourage them to make their voices heard. Doctors have a VERY LOUD voice in both state and federal government, and nurses (who outnumber doctors by a ton) need to do the same. If nurses all got involved, we would be quite a force. The problem I have found, however, is that nurses tend to stay in their own specialty and don't typically work to help others. RN's won't stand up for LPN's, APN's won't stand up for beside nurses, CRNA's won't stand up for CNM's, NP's won't stand up for CNS's...you get the idea. It's not that nurses don't want to help each other, it's just that nurses are usually women and women tend to have a million things (like a family) that keeps them too busy and on the sidelines of the political process. That is a generalization of course, but it seems to be true in my state and from what I have heard from other states as well.

I encourage anyone and everyone to get involved and make their voices heard!!!

Count me in!!!

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Med/Surg, Pedi.

Count me in. How can I help?

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