Podcast explores how nurses started a hospital-wide advocacy day

In an AONL podcast, Christina Llanez, MSN, RN, and Yamaleh Reyes, MSN, RN, discuss how they created a nurse advocacy day at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. Llanez, director of nursing professional development, says a learning needs assessment showed nurses wanted to strengthen their healthcare economics and policy advocacy skills. Reyes, director of critical care services for the pediatric intensive care unit, added nurses wanted to improve their confidence and feel safe speaking up. After they enlisted the support of the hospital’s nursing leadership, they asked the hospital’s government affairs department to run a workshop explaining how to craft messages and make congressional asks aligned with the hospital’s strategic priorities. Participating nurses met with nine congressional members. A post-event survey showed nurses’ advocacy skills increased.