Discuss your experience with lobbying or being involved in a political campaign which represented a healthcare issue. Please identify and do not provide specific names of the campaign. If you have not been involved in political activism describe an area of interest to you and how you would proceed in becoming involved at some level.
Resources for assignment:
Textbook
Mason et al. (2021): Chapters 40, 44, 46, 50
Web Sites
How States Define “Lobbying” and “Lobbyist” (National Council State Legislatures)
Lobbying and Policymaking
Lobbying dates back to where constituents would wait in the lobby of a US House or Senate chamber to approach legislators upon entrance or exit. Today, lobbying has evolved into an active process of advocacy by paid and unpaid individuals. Nurses lobby to resolve identified problem with professional policy and this occurs through professional associations or paid individuals representing associations.
Effective lobbying requires planning and knowledge. The growth realized in technology over the years has added an additional modem for effective lobbying and these skills must be practiced. Lobbying is necessary for keeping the future stakes in our professional.
Political Activism and the American Process of Voting
According to the US Department of Labor, over 3.1 million registered nurses are employed. Therefore, nursing has a very large base of voters who can affect change by voting. Through the years state and federal governments have changed laws to encourage participation in voting for all eligible. Therefore, nurses need to remain active in voting and campaigns and represent their large constituency.
Nurses have long been involved in organizing political campaigns. It is critical to understand the process for vetting candidates. Political action committees (PACs) provide funding to political campaigns. Therefore, nurses need to be informed and knowledgeable on the appropriateness of the issues they represent. Nursing leaders of political policymaking can serve as volunteers or serve as advocates for policy once politicians are in office. Lobbying and political activism does not need to cease after the election is complete.
