Advocacy Issues in Nursing & Healthcare Leadership

The nursing profession is constantly evolving, and nurses themselves are often at the epicenter of that change. Today’s nurse practitioners (NPs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and other nurses are working together to advocate for progressive policies, negotiate changes to existing regulations, and advance the nursing profession as a whole. 

From the fight for full practice authority, to the establishment of nurse-to-patient ratios, to addressing the social determinants of health, these collective efforts help create a safer, more effective, and more inclusive healthcare system. In our advocacy section, we interview nursing leaders about the issues that matter most, and explain how you can get involved as a new, aspiring, or veteran nurse, too.

By Sabrina Tillman Calendar Icon March 14, 2025 Personal Advocacy

Achieving a Work-Life Balance in Nursing

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, nurses often find themselves at the epicenter of relentless demands. Extended shifts, emotionally charged situations, and the ever-present call of duty can make achieving a nurse work-life balance seem elusive.

By Meg Lambrych, RN Calendar Icon January 6, 2025 Professional Advocacy

Exploited Abroad: The Silent Struggles of Internationally Educated Nurses in the US

While a nursing job in the US is often advertised as the start of a new American dream for these nurses, many find the experience a nightmare instead, thanks to the profoundly exploitative business practices many international recruitment agencies employ.

By Meg Lambrych, RN Calendar Icon October 29, 2024 Professional Advocacy

Travel Nurses: Healthcare’s Favorite Scapegoats

It’s clear that what these executives fear most is not the actual cost of paying travel nurses but rather what that cost signifies. Nurses who know their worth and demand competitive compensation packages and workplace safety measures are a threat to the system at large, and they will do anything to protect the status quo because it’s working perfectly for them.

By Meg Lambrych, RN Calendar Icon September 18, 2024 Professional Advocacy

Everything You Need to Know About New Graduate Residency Programs for Nurses

Transitioning from nursing school into clinical practice has always challenged new nurses. According to one study published in Nursing Economics, 17 percent of new graduate nurses leave the profession entirely within one year. To combat this trend, hospitals and nursing education organizations have created new graduate nurse residency programs to serve as a bridge between the classroom and the hospital, better-supporting nurses and making the process easier and less daunting.

By Matt Zbrog Calendar Icon April 24, 2024 Professional Advocacy

NP Advocates to Know: Dr. Felesia Bowen on Health Equity

Advocacy is woven deeply into the nurse practitioner (NP) role. It’s a part of the job that’s never finished. Advocacy can occur at a micro level, by advocating one-on-one for a particular patient, or at the macro level, by lobbying for policy changes; it’s often a mix of the two. For many NPs, advocacy concerns a particular issue close to their heart, one connected to underserved patients who deserve additional support. For Dr. Felesia Brown, the issue is health equity.

By Matt Zbrog Calendar Icon January 18, 2024 Professional Advocacy

Guide to NP-Led Research

The healthcare community is a partnership between scientific research and clinical practice. For most of modern history, both arenas have been dominated by physicians. But as the healthcare workforce has expanded and the interprofessional care team emerged, nurse practitioners (NPs) have proven to be vital in delivering healthcare services in America.

By Matt Zbrog Calendar Icon December 7, 2023 Professional Advocacy

Nursing Continuing Professional Development & The NCPD Award

Each year, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awards its Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) Premier Award™ to accredited organizations that demonstrate excellence in NCPD. Presented to one or more fully accredited programs each year, the award recognizes recipients for a two-year period.

By Matt Zbrog Calendar Icon November 29, 2023 Policy Advocacy

NP Advocates to Know: Dr. Kelli Garber on Telehealth

Advocacy is woven deeply into the nurse practitioner (NP) role. It’s a part of the job that’s never finished. Advocacy can occur at a micro level, by advocating one-on-one for a particular patient, or at the macro level, by lobbying for policy changes; it’s often a mix of the two. For many NPs, advocacy is about a particular issue close to their heart, one connected to underserved patients who deserve additional support. For Dr. Kelli Garber, the issue is telehealth.

By Kimmy Gustafson Calendar Icon November 1, 2023 Professional Advocacy

Compassionate Practice in Nursing: What to Know

Nursing, at its core, is the profession of caring for others. However, compassion, an essential trait for nurses, extends beyond caring for needs. According to researcher Beth Lown in a paper published in the Association for the Study of Medical Education Journal, “Compassion involves recognition, understanding, emotional resonance and empathic concern for another’s concerns, distress, pain and suffering, coupled with their acknowledgment, and motivation and relational action to ameliorate these conditions.”

By Matt Zbrog Calendar Icon October 5, 2023 Professional Advocacy

The Rise of Interprofessional Teams in Healthcare

Healthcare involves many more people than the physician and the patient. The modern healthcare team is a broadly interprofessional one, including nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, physical therapists, nutritionists, counselors, and social workers, just to name a few.