Health Policy seminars and educational offerings posted on social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. We also stay abreast of issues by following the legislative agenda of the American Nurses Association.
Are there other policy issues that are a part of your health policy agenda? Many of our members are advanced practice nurses. Thus, we support the policy agenda of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS). Their priorities—including nursing workforce issues, health care reform, and health information technology—resonate with our legislative priorities. The Indian Nurses Association is an organization of about 200 members. We can be more impactful when we combine our voices with other nursing organizations to enhance our policy advocacy on behalf of patients and the profession.
If you had to offer advice on why nurses should be engaged in advocacy and policy advocacy on behalf of
At a Glance: South Asians and Heart Disease • • • • •
South Asians are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States. Family origins mostly from: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. High cardiovascular prevalence not readily known due to lack of data. Research examining heart disease in Asians in general lacks subgroup analyses. Possible contributing factors include early onset of diabetes, cholesterol abnormalities, westernized diets, and lifestyle.
Source: American Heart Association For a more detailed discussion of heart disease in South Asian populations, please see the American Heart Association’s Scientific Statement.
patients and the profession, what would you say? Nurses instinctively advocate for their patients. Equally important is for nurses to engage in legislative and polit-
Nurses instinctively advocate for their patients. Equally important is for nurses to engage in legislative and political advocacy. ical advocacy. This is needed to advance the profession and patient care. It is important for the voice of the nurse to
be heard when any new legislation or bill is being introduced. An example of a recent bill is SB2151, a bill sponsored by Senator Hastings. This bill is about the Nurse Practice Act language surrounding delegation. Specifically, nurse delegation in communitybased settings is of concern. Nursing has to provide the definition of what nursing practice entails, how nursing interventions and tasks can be delegated, and in what care settings the delegation can occur. Nurses can stay informed on legislation that impacts their practice and profession
by following nursing forums like @ANAnurses [and] @RN Action. To stay engaged or not engaged in policy advocacy is a decision each nursing professional has to make, and he or she must always err on the side of staying actively engaged on behalf of the patients and those they serve. Janice M. Phillips, PhD, FAAN, RN, is an associate professor at Rush University College of Nursing and the director of nursing research and health equity at Rush University Medical Center.
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