Why should nurses engage in advocacy?
- For the good of our patients;
- Doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies have lobbyists;
- Decisions made at the Capitol affect you;
- Nurses need to be at the table!
Nurses have a long history of policy advocacy. Many leaders of the professional nursing movement were also leaders in the women’s suffrage movement. First MNA President Sarah Tarleton Colvin was arrested and jailed for protesting for women’s suffrage.
MNA offers a variety of ways to volunteer and take action on behalf of your patients and your profession. You can:
- Talk to elected officials at the local, state, and national levels;
- Participate in MNA events like the Day on the Hill and Student Day on the Hill;
- Get involved in electoral activities: candidate endorsements, get-out-the-vote actions, phone banking, door knocking, and more;
- Sign your hospital up for a mini Day on the Hill;
- Join MNA’s Governmental Affairs Commission, which promotes member involvement in governmental affairs and educates members on issues and policies.
- Attend your local party caucus and present resolutions that share nurses’ values. See the sample resolutions below:
For more information:
Visit the Action Center to contact your legislators, sign petitions, participate in actions, and find out about important legislation that affects you and your patients.
To get involved, contact: govdept@mnnurses.org