August 27, 2011 – the Delaware Nurses Association (DNA) embarked on our first ever “road trip” to meet the Legislative staffers at ANA and to speak with our senators and representative on Capitol Hill. Sixty-two nurses participated in a venture that started in Wilmington with a stop in Dover for our southern members.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is working on several fronts to counter attacks on Medicaid funding and to ensure that nurses are informed about the efforts on Capitol Hill that impact this program which provides essential health care coverage for an estimated 58 million Americans.
In early April 2011, Anne Krouse, PhD, MBA, RN-BC, associate professor at Widener University in Chester, PA, accompanied her health policy junior honors students on a trip to Washington, DC. She tasked these BSN students with learning more about advocating for health policy and how the legislative process works.
Happy Spring! I can’t believe the month of April has come to an end. My intern experience in the Government Affairs Department has been extremely valuable for my nursing career. I have expanded dimensions to my nursing practice by improving my leadership and advocacy skills to better treat my patients. The most interesting experience for me has been the warm welcome received from the legislative assistants when discussing ANA’s legislative priorities for this year.
On June 16th, in conjunction with the ANA House of Delegates, approximately 300 nurses from across the country came to Capitol Hill to take part in the ANA 2010 Lobby Day. This year we also added a virtual component, allowing 1200 nurses from all over to follow the action “virtually” on Facebook and Twitter. On our “Virtual” Lobby Day homepage participants were able to research issues and write letters to their Members of Congress leading to over 400 letters sent!
It’s that time of the year – time to give thanks for everything you’re grateful for. This year, ANA is especially grateful to the 220 Members of the United States House of Representatives that voted to pass the historic Affordable Health Care for America Act.
