AONL board members discuss how to get involved in advocacy

Nurse leaders should build relationships with their congressional representatives to advocate for nursing effectively, says AONL President-elect Stuart Downs, DNP, RN, and Board Member Jacqueline Herd, DNP, RN. Downs, senior vice president and system CNE at Northeast Georgia Health System in Gainesville, said representatives turn to experts for guidance, and an established relationship enables them to “know you are the resident person that they need to go to. Herd, CNO at Little Company of Mary San Pedro, Calif., added, “You can’t wait until a crisis hits to say, ‘hey, can you do this?’” CNOs should join local or national organizations and hospital associations and connect with their hospital’s government affairs offices. They should tell stories and share data about how a bill would affect care. (HealthLeaders Media article, 7/30/26).