Linfield student nurses lobby in Salem (click image below to start slideshow)
Linfield student nurses showed up in full force at the 2009 Oregon Nurses Association Nurse Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 4 in Salem. Arriving by bus and by car, over 75 Linfield student nurses joined more than 400 other participants in ONA’s annual legislative lobby day.
Linfield student nurses took an active role in the political process by making the case to state legislators for loan forgiveness for nurse educators pursing advanced degrees to address the nurse educator crisis. They also lobbied senators and representatives for equitable access to health care. “I learned so much, and I felt like I was heard. Seeing 400+ students, nurses and faculty inspired me to get involved in political advocacy,” said one student.
The day offered students and professionals unique access to state legislators, as well as an opportunity to network with nurse leaders and experience a few “mentoring moments.” We invite you to share Linfield student experiences by reading some of their testimonials below...
“After conversing with a legislator for the first time, I came away with the realization that I do have a role in the political process. Our voices were heard and respected. Now I am more eager to dialogue with my legislators and I feel the freedom to call or visit them.”
“There was wonderful dialogue between our group and the individuals we spoke to, and the practicing nurses were very excited and encouraged that nursing students made the trip and were able to succinctly speak on their behalf.”
“Getting to actually meet people who work in at the Capital was an opportunity of a lifetime. I never thought that the representatives and senators would be so receptive of the information we were offering to them. THEY ACTUALLY LISTENED TO US.”
“This was such a great opportunity! I'm so glad that I was there. It was a day of getting to know other nursing students from around the state, as well as seasoned nurses out in the field. I sat in on meetings with three state representatives, and I was the only Linfield student in my group. I spoke personally at each meeting about the need to support nursing faculty, and the importance of health care access for everyone. It was empowering to sit in a room with members of our state government and tell them what it's like to be a student, and what a difference they could make with their support of the health care reform bill. I don't know if my attendance will change anything, but I learned so much, and I felt like I was heard. Plus, seeing all 500 students, nurses and faculty inspired my to get involved in political advocacy.”
"The shortfalls of our current health care system are no secret, and there is no question that it affects nurses' job satisfaction. Even though I am very enthusiastic about my future as a nurse, these facts can be a little disheartening sometimes. But Nurse Lobby Day was very empowering and was a great example of what we can accomplish when we come together. Nurses are the largest group of health care professionals and that's a lot of votes, so legislators will listen if we can organize together and present clear messages like we did on Wednesday. Change always takes work, but if we keep on talking about these things and pushing forward, it will happen!"
“As a new student that hasn’t even started classes yet, I approached the day with an open mind and a desire to learn.At the same time I have to admit to some anxiety because I felt somewhat out of place or that I ‘didn’t belong’.Most of us have worked long and hard to get into nursing school, and maybe along the lines of the individualistic tasks of taking prerequisites and writing school applications, we lost sight of why we wanted to become nurses in the first place, and what our roll will be after we graduate. Today I learned we are part of the Linfield School of Nursing community, a community that welcomed me with open arms and made me feel part of it. More important, we are part of a bigger community, a community of professional nurses that have been working hard as advocates to make sure the Oregon population has what it deserves.”
“At first, I didn’t know what to expect from Nurse Lobby Day. Having had previous leadership experience, I felt comfortable with the task of talking to people. Then I realized that I would be talking with LEGISLATORS! It wouldn’t be long before I would learn that they were real people with an interest in what I had to say. At our first meeting, we lobbied as a group of 11 students and one nurse. The rest of the students needed to return to their campus following the first meeting. This meant that it would just be the ONA nurse and myself attending the subsequent meetings. What an experience! I was able to really personally lobby for a cause, tell a few of my personal stories, and connect with the legislators. This experience has single-handedly led me to reconsider my future roles upon completion of my degree.”