Public Policy & Advocacy

ONL serves as a collective voice of nurse leaders in the region and champions public policy advocacy on issues impacting nursing practice and the health of our communities. We work with our members to identify key issues, provide viable solutions, and influence and build buy-in with key stakeholders and decision-makers. We do this through grass-roots advocacy as well as through strategic partnerships and interactions with key policy leaders, legislators, and other nursing and healthcare organizations and associations.

Key Issues

ONL strives to support our community of nurse leaders with responsiveness and action on the key issues impacting nursing practice today. Current key issues include:

• Responding to Unprecedented Workforce Challenges
• Championing Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging in Nursing and Healthcare
• Addressing Workplace Violence

ONL's 2023 Policy Platform and Multi-State Agenda

Healthy Work Environments Workplace safety / violence Safe nurse staffing and opposition to inflexible mandatory staffing ratios Investments in employee supports, wellbeing, and meaningful benefits Nurse manager span of control Care team re-design

Positioning Nurses and Clinicians to Lead and Influence Hospital Board Diversity Credentialing Committee Composition Intentional messaging / strategies to elevate the image of nurses and nursing State appointments relating to health care decision-making and oversight

Nursing and Healthcare Workforce Development State policies and priorities related to nursing and healthcare workforce development State budgets and workforce implications Regulations concerning Certified Nursing Assistant training and licensure Nurse Licensure Compact Social justice policies Engagement with state Boards of Nursing

Ways You Can Get Involved

Advocacy takes many different forms and requires engagement and persistence. Change is possible when we contribute to the dialogue. There are several ways you can get involved today to help amplify the voice and influence of nurses and nurse leaders on public policy:

• Leverage time and contact with state and public sector leaders and connect the dots for them if they are less familiar with nursing leadership and practice. Find your legislator >>
• Collaborate with the government affairs team in your organization, and the Boards that you can influence, and look for opportunities to infuse nursing priorities and perspectives.
• We need to keep nurses in the conversation, and if you can open doors for others, please do so, with intention.
• New members are always welcome on the Government Affairs committee. Join us!