1. Political Action in Nursing
Chapter 17
Political Action in Nursing

2. Political Action in Nursing
Define politics and political involvement
State the rationale for individual nurses’ involvement in the political process
List specific strategies needed to begin to affect the laws that govern the practice of nursing and the health care system

3. Political Action in Nursing (cont’d)
Discuss different types of power and how each is obtained
Describe the function of a political action committee
Discuss selected issues affecting nursing
Multistate licensure
Nursing and collective bargaining
Equal pay for work of comparable value

4. What Exactly Is Politics?
The process of influencing the allocation of scarce resources
Enables the nurse “to nurse smarter”
Augments power to improve care provided to patients
Political skills enable nurse to:
ID needed resources
Gain access to those resources
Overcome obstacles

6. What Are the Skills That Make Up a Nurse’s Political Savvy ?
Ability to analyze an issue
Ability to present a possible resolution in clear and concise terms
Ability to participate in a constructive way
Ability to voice one's opinion (understand the system)
Ability to analyze and use power bases

9. Networking among Colleagues
Successful networking
Consciously build and nurture a pool of associates whose skills and connections augment your own
Build network over your career
Reciprocate with your resources

10. How Do I Go About Participating in the Election Process?
Get involved—know the candidates
Volunteer to help the candidate understand health care issues
Draft position on health care
Be cautious of the political “bug”

11. Nursing and Collective Bargaining
Point of debate among nurses
Pro—a tool to force positive changes in the practice setting
Con—written contract may restrict freedom, flexibility, and professional judgment of the RN

12. Safe Staffing ANA has launched a campaign on this issue
Staffing ratios need to be required by legislation but the number itself must be set at the unit level with RN input, rather than by the terms of the legislation

14. There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things ― Machiavelli