Assignment Prompt & Instructions
Please write a 300 word reply to my classmate, her discussion post is below. APA format. NO AI. My professor is a stickler for AI. PLEASE NO AI. scholarly written, APA formatted and a minimum of 3 references (which may include the course textbook).
" Nursing is the largest licensed and most trusted profession in the United States (Elliot, 2025), and with that, comes a lot of power that is not always recognized. If nurses collectively advocate for the same cause, there are enough numbers and influence in this profession to make real changes in policy. The first step is making concerns known. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) both recognize advocacy as part of a key role for nurses, speaking on behalf of individuals or communities affected by an issue (Laari & Duma, 2023). Lobbying, in its simplest form, means making needs known to the people in power (Bitonti et al., 2025). The term traces back to people gathering in the lobbies of government buildings to get the attention of the politicians.
While I have not joined a formal political campaign, I have experienced advocacy firsthand at the organizational level. Our organization is pushing to improve patient satisfaction. I have informed my manager that the best way to achieve this goal is to satisfy the nurses. When nurses are expected to go above and beyond, well compensated, and feel valued, that satisfaction ripples into the care they deliver (Ahmari et al., 2023). In our organization, resource nurses have a full patient load on top of their charge nurse role. An extra dollar an hour is not enough compensation, given the demands of being a charge nurse on a large unit (Holmgren et al., 2022).
I sent an email to our Director of Nursing (DON) advocating for an increase in charge nurse pay. It was unfortunately denied due to budget constraints. To my surprise, the DON had concerns that I might be trying to organize a union. That was never the plan, but the response was eye-opening. One email was enough to alert leadership, which showed how much political weight advocacy can carry even at the organizational level. Senior leaders may have denied my request, but the email got their attention. That alone shows that speaking up matters even when the answer is no.
Growing up in a political household gave me a different perspective on how advocacy and changes work. It is not about the fame. It is about what can be done for the community and knowing which conversations to have and which doors to knock on to move the advocacy forward. From experience, political campaigns are about getting the right individuals into the office. These individuals will fight for the needs of their constituents. Once they win the seat, knowing someone in the government makes it easier to get the support when needed, but it is never quick or simple. Issues go through weeks, sometimes months of deliberation and debate in the session hall. Opposing council members do not always agree, even when an ordinance would clearly benefit the citizens.
It is the same process in healthcare. Getting a policy changed takes time, persistence, and the ability to justify the advocacy to individuals who do not always understand what it is like to be in that position. Not everyone will agree, and it is difficult for some individuals to fully grasp what is being advocated for when they have never experienced it firsthand. In my example above, our DON does not work at the bedside and did not experience on a daily basis what it is like to manage a full and critical patient load while also serving as a charge nurse.
Speaking up matters. I did not get the compensation changes I advocated for, but I made my concerns known to the organization. I understand that change starts with getting the right people to listen. Reaching out to organizational leaders gives nurses one of the most direct paths to being heard.
As nurses, we advocate for our patients every single day. It only makes sense to advocate for ourselves and drive changes in the policies that affect the care we deliver. Beyond the organizational level, workplace advocacy and nurse satisfaction are one area worth fighting for on a larger scale. When nurses feel valued and supported, it shows in the care they deliver.
**References**
Ahmari, R. A., Qannass, S. A., Govallen, P., Moorkan, N., & Homoud, Z. (2023). The Impact of Nurses Recognition, and Empowerment Related to Nurses Job Satisfaction at KFSH-D. _Open Journal of Nursing_, _13_(2), 81–94. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojn.2023.132006
Bitonti, A., Mugellini, G., Mariotti, C., Francoli, M., & Villeneuve, J.-P. (2025). Citizens and the public perception of lobbying: do regulation and trust in political institutions make a difference? _Interest Groups & Advocacy_, _14_(3). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-025-00237-x
Elliott, R. S. (2024). Every Nurse Can Become an Advocate: Pathways for Meaningful Policy Change. _Journal of Radiology Nursing_, _44_(1), 36–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2024.10.004
Holmgren, C., Jussèn, S., Hagiwara, M. A., & Rådestad, M. (2022). Charge nurses’ perceived experience in managing daily work and major incidents in emergency departments: A qualitative study. _Australasian Emergency Care_, _25_(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.auec.2022.02.003
Laari, L., & Duma, S. E. (2023). Health advocacy role performance of nurses in underserved populations: A grounded theory study. _Nursing Open_, _10_(9), 6527–6537. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1907"