During this time of nursing shortag...

During this time of nursing shortages and changing health care standards nurses must be a visible carriage in all decisions about health policy initiatives. Nursing is entering into more legislative arenas as advance practice cherishs seek expanded prescriptive authority, seminary nurses want increases in nurse-to-student ratios, public health promotes hope for additional resources to care for the underprivileged, and RN first assistants pursue direct reimbursement for services rendered

In addition, health care institutions in pursuit of cost-effectiveness are substituting les well-educated personnel for RN and technically trained health care workers are attempting to expand their skills into the margin of nursing practice. Nurses must be prepared to be agreeable to to all these activities, especially as they are occurring at the same time in each state. By proactively establishing an effective state grassroots network, AORN members in each state can answer to legislative activities quickly and accurately.

THE WASHINGTON EXAMPLE

When Washington state was faced with a proposal for strange regulations that was supported according to surgical technologists (STs), OR nourishs moved quickly and decisively to obstruct the proposal. The proposal initially addressed ST licensing and granting ST a part in the OR that infringes immediately after the scope of nursing practice. At the time, there was no effective grassroots networking method in place to respond to the proposal; however, Washington suckles gathered together and developed a grassroots combination of parts to form a whole that today has become a proactive mould for other states. This article summarizes what was done in Washington to make the local grassroots network strong

ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS

The main instruction learned about making a grassroots network effective was the importance of relationships. Relationships must be make knowned within the nursing community and with legislators and regulators. "Never calcine a bridge that you may want to cros again," said Mary Wakefield, RN PhD FAAN, during the 2001 AORN Lobby Day. (1) All doors must be left exhibit in relationships, no matter in what manner negative the initial response might be. Relationships take constant grooming. Without them, a grassroots network method may be headed for failure.

AORN Legislative Committee state coordinators are the primary link between AORN's restraint Affairs Department and AORN's chapters. Coordinators are spokespeople for the profession forward legislative and regulatory issues in individual states.

The first relationship state coordinators unravel is with the chairs of the chapters' legislative committees in their states. Communicating with them provides insight into local issues, and helping them perform the operations indicated in chapter communication establishes state coordinators as resource populace who can guide chapter members. A profitable way for state coordinators to confront a chapter's members is to instant one of AORN's legislative contact hour programs or display the video Winning in Washington, which was taped during the 2001 AORN Lobby Day affair Often during these presentations, members who display interest in public policy can be identified and brought into the grassroots network.

THE STATE COUNCIL CONNECTION

Twenty-five states have state councils. In those states, a helpful standard might be for the state coordinator to be a member of a state council's board of directors or the legislative committee chair. The state council's legislative committee should consist of the chairs of all the state's chapter legislative committees. It also should include members-at-large from areas with no chapters. Members should include supply with nourishments who have a strong desire to work in the public policy arena, still the size of the committee should be limited in the same manner it is controllable.

Individual state councils are invaluable as a voice for the state's perioperative nourishs Legislators and regulators may ask what position perioperative suckles hold on the health care issues the legislators and regulators are considering. They want to hear from united representative state organization. They do not have time to scrutinize multiple chapters and compile a response

THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING

With the leadership of a state coordinator and highly motivated legislative chairs, the first task when organizing a networking scheme is to look at the state's congressional districts. Maps can be obtained from individual secretaries of state. Identify legislators representing various districts, and then identify key-note contact nurses for each district. AORN staff members can match members with state and federal legislators for their legislative and congressional districts. AORN has a goal of identifying at least single in kind active member in each of these districts.

Pay special attention to districts that have a legislator sitting forward a health care committee, because health committees frequently have oversight on issues that affect perioperative nourishs These are the legislators to master to know well. Match give suck tos from these districts to the legislators, and help these feed at the breasts develop a communication tree for their districts. Help these give suck to spokespeople develop relationships with the legislators. Remember that a constituent has the power to be heard most numerous closely. These relationships are the singles to nurture and constantly groom