2012 stands out as a significant election year for healthcare, and reform debates are top priority. In November, U.S. citizens will go to the polls to elect the person who will serve as the President of the United States for the next 4 years. Elections for House and Senate seats, as well as pivotal state and local seats, promise an interesting political year. Election events represent years of dedication and purpose in the lives of many people, particularly the candidates. The hours and days spent preparing to compete in a national race require an extreme sense of direction, dedication, and commitment. One component of successful campaigning is providing numerous opportunities for voters to get to know the candidate. Every gathering has to be viewed as a potential venue to promote oneself-each trip to the grocery store, each stop at the service station to gas up the car, every walk around the neighborhood, the weekly worship services, and so forth. People in elected positions and those who aspire to serve in an elected position are constantly in the public eye to remind everyone of whom they represent, what special skills they bring to a position, why they are the best person to serve in the role, how they will work for their supporters, and where they are willing to venture to ensure success.
NPs in the public eye
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are not unlike candidates seeking public office. Patients who receive regular care from NPs frequently monitor the profession's progress through media reports and actively promote the roles of NPs in their own unique, personal ways. Many patients read and shared an October New York Times article about advanced practice nurses (APNs) using the title "doctor" with anyone and everyone who would listen, championing our value in the healthcare system. I am still a little surprised when someone, in- or outside of a patient setting, asks me what a NP is. As this movement moves toward its next milestone, the 50th anniversary, there are still many individuals who do not encounter NPs in any healthcare situation. These are the individuals we must include on our personal campaign trail.
Our own campaign trail
An October 23, 2009 blog on the Maverick Health site (http://www.maverickhealth.com/blog/entry/why-nps-should-reach-out-to-the-media/)cites an article from Nurse Practitioner World News that includes a quotation from a NP instrumental in developing an innovative care delivery system in a small town in Minnesota: "It's kind of interesting that Washington is reforming health care, when they're not the ones in the room with the patient. That's really what this project is about: letting those of us who are in the room with the patient reform health care." The APN author of the article encouraged all NPs to "make media outreach a part of [their] professional life" by engaging in activities such as visiting legislators, writing to different media outlets, and accepting interview requests. But the bottom line for most of us is the one-on-one explanations of what we are about because informed patients become informed voters. Elected officials pay attention to the concerns of their constituents during campaign fever and will hopefully remember them after winning the election.
In this month's 24th Annual Legislative Update, Susanne Phillips has once again created an impressive summary of NP successes in the legislative arena over the past 12 months, as well as the challenges that still remain. So start your personal campaign now by spreading the word about NPs and other advanced practice roles. We have a valuable role and should use it to improve and reform the healthcare system. This election year is the perfect opportunity to move forward and push for necessary changes so that we can provide the best possible care for our patients.
Jamesetta Newland, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP
Editor-in-Chief
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