Advocacy Is Leadership in Action | eNews Leadership Update | September 25, 2026

Improving health through advocacy is an AONL strategic priority because policy decisions shape healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. To advance this priority, AONL is strengthening nurse leaders' advocacy competencies and elevating nursing leadership's voice in policy discussions.

Nurse leaders understand the realities of care delivery. You see the impact of workforce challenges, patient needs and operational pressures every day. Your firsthand experience helps policymakers understand how decisions made in Washington and state capitals affect patients. Without that clinical perspective, decisions may be made without a full understanding of their real-world impact. That is why advocacy is a core leadership competency and an essential way nurse leaders improve health outcomes for all.

For more than a decade, Advocacy Day has been a cornerstone of AONL's advocacy efforts. AONL is building on that foundation by expanding opportunities for nurse leaders to engage throughout the year. Through Nurse Leaders in Advocacy, members can develop lasting relationships with policymakers and serve as trusted resources on healthcare issues.  

AONL also continues to expand its educational offerings. Advocacy in Action, a new in-person workshop, equips nurse leaders with practical skills needed to influence policymakers through letters, phone calls, social media and in-person meetings. Your Voice Matters: Advocacy Fundamentals for Nurse Leaders offers on-demand training to build advocacy knowledge, confidence and skill.

Advocacy is leadership in action. I encourage every nurse leader to take advantage of these resources, share them with colleagues and team members, and use your voice to help shape the policies that affect our patients, our workforce and the future of healthcare. 

Stacey Chappell

Senior Director, Advocacy and External Communications