Excellence Series: Legislative Advocacy

Outline:
Section 1: Introduction

About This Course

Learning Objectives

Section 2: What is Legislative Advocacy?

Meet Ana

Legislative Advocacy

Background on Nurses as Advocates

Ethical Principles of Nursing

Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (the Code)

Why Does Legislative Advocacy Matter?

Lobbying vs. Advocacy

Section 3: Who Do You Advocate For?

The Role of an Advocate

Agent of Change

Consequences of Advocacy

Section 4: Preparing to Advocate

Advocacy Toolbox

Setting a Goal

Engagement

Coalitions

Networking

Section 5: Exercising Legislative Advocacy

Getting to Know Your Legislator

Initial Correspondence

When to Contact Members of Congress

Meeting a Legislator

Maintaining Contact with Legislators

Section 6: Case Scenario

One Nurse’s Advocacy Journey

Section 7: Conclusion

Course Summary

Course Contributors

Resources

References

Alia Lutz, BSN, RN, has over 10 years of experience as a Registered Nurse with a focus on cardiothoracic, respiratory, and coronary care. She has also had experience in Med-Surg, step-down and ICU. Prior to joining Relias as a SME and Content Writer for acute care, she provided virtual education and injection training on injectable biologics to patients, reported adverse events, and was a patient advocate. She has collaborated with peers on creating job aids, writing policies, and improving quality of care and documentation. Alia received her Bachelors in Nursing from Otago Polytechnic in New Zealand in 2011. Disclosure: Alia Lutz, BSN, RN has declared that no conflict of interest, Relevant Financial Relationship or Relevant Non-Financial Relationship exists.

Nurse Deb is a USAF Veteran and Registered Nurse with over 25 years of experience as a medical professional. Deb began her bedside experience in the trenches while she worked as a medical assistant through nursing school. Upon obtaining her RN, she has worked in many specialties, to include Cardiac Step-down and Rehabilitation, for which she holds a specialty license. Over the years, both as a medical professional, and as a curious citizen, she has amassed a vast wealth of evidence-based knowledge on the benefits offered by entheogenic plant medicines. She is committed to providing evidenced-based research with a desire to change the legal landscape surrounding these misunderstood and stigmatized plant medicines. Entheogenic plant medicines are tools, much like western medicine, but misunderstood. She strives to dispel the lie we were told and pivot that misunderstanding.

As a nurse, Deb is very passionate about providing positive patient outcomes and is an active member of several associations. Deb is striving to advocate for her patients by attending state and federal legislative events to better assist in breaking the stigma to allow patients the choice of entheogenic plants as medicine.

Always seeking improvement and additional knowledge, Deb graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BSN in early 2020 and is currently in the process of obtaining her Juris Master with a focus in Healthcare Regulation at Florida State University, School of Law. She lives in south Florida with her friend, her husband. They have two young boys and enjoy being outdoors as often as possible.

Disclosure: Deborah L. McCauley, BSN, CRRN. has declared that no conflict of interest, Relevant Financial Relationship or Relevant Non-Financial Relationship exists.