You will identify a nursing organization of your choice. Once you have selected the organization you want to locate the section on advocacy and fine their current legislative/advocacy agenda (most recent). There are several nursing organizations to choose from these can be found in your BB resources and in your Patton et al., 2022 textbook
· Locate the advocacy section of the organization website and list 2-3 resources the organization offers to assist advocacy efforts of nurses (which is ultimately the most effective way to promote for policy change; note many of you should belong to some type of nursing organization even if it is the Florida Nurses Association or the American Nurses Association but as BSN and soon to be MSN nurses this is vitally important for a variety of reasons!!!!
· Review the organizations priority legislative policy issues and priorities (typically updated yearly. Identify and describe 1-2 of these issues which interest you and explain your rationale for choosing, along with a brief description/background and significance of each identified issues. Make sure to include the selected nursing organization’s advocacy plan and desired outcome so that it can be reference easily in your submitted assignment. (this should not be extensive but few short sentences that provides enough information to detail the problem and inform the issue).
· Select one of these issues that is most interesting to you and plan to meet with either in person or virtually with the appropriate representative to address the selected issue (this may or may not be same as your previously identified local representative).
o Identify the representative and the contact information for this individual correctly in your submitted assignment. The organization website will provide you will links and names to the selected legislators. Examples are organizational websites can be found below but these are only suggestions. You may choose an organization affiliated with your specialty or interests
o You are going to take part in a face-to-face or virtual meeting with the selected official about the identified policy you selected. https://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/public-policy-and-advocacy/virtual-site-visit-toolkit/
o The meeting description provided in the submitted assignment MUST be VERY detailed and describe the step by step process of how you would go about meeting with the individual (who would you contact (which staff members; make sure to include their names and contact information and where the information was obtained), how would you arrange a date, where would the meeting take place, who else might be involved in the meeting, how much time will you have, what do you want to get across, how should you dress). This should outline exactly how you plan to do this as if you were actually going to do it (who knows maybe you will 😊
o Draft an outline of the points you wish to get across to the representative about the specific policy in a concise specific way during the meeting. You may use an ‘elevator speech’ (see attached outline in BB resources section) or other resources or tools to help you outline what this will look like. You will submit the description of the information you plan to present as part of the assignment submission (see grading rubric). It might be easiest to use what is called the 60 minute ‘elevator speech’, I have provided both a resource in the BB page and also outlined the format below for convenience.
Personal Reflection: 100-250 word personal reflection.
· What did you learn from this exercise?
· Did you find it challenging?
· Do you feel that you may decide to become more involved at least in some way with a nursing organization to change policy? How so or how not?
· Do you feel better prepared to become involved in influencing policy or is it still seem overwhelming?
· Were you excited or fearful, nervous?
· Once the assignment was complete did you feel accomplished, empowered, undecided?
· Do you see yourself using these tools in your future practice?
APA formatting: The paper needs to have headings to guide the reader. Though appendices may be used as well as graphs and tables to help present the content in an organized manner. References both in-text and in a references, page are expected to be included with the paper. Correct formatting (using 12 pt Times New Roman font; double spacing (unless otherwise indicated for the letter and in table; follow APA guidelines which are available to you in your BB page). A title page should be included.