Listen to this article.
Voiced by Amazon Polly

Two nursing students from the University of Wyoming (UW) School of Nursing recently traveled to Washington DC to advocate for important issues relevant to the nursing profession. Both students took part in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) annual Student Policy Summit.

The two UW nursing students included Morgan Lu, a junior nursing major, and Brenna Cain, a Doctor of Nursing candidate scheduled to graduate this summer. Mary Burman, dean of the UW Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, accompanied the students for the summit which took place March 25-27.

AACN’s summit is intended to teach students how to advocate for the nursing profession, showing them how policies are developed at the federal level. Lu and Cain met with members of Congress and their staff, and engaged with nursing policy leaders, bringing attention to the issues important to them as young nursing professionals.

Cain tells UWYO.edu, “I was very inspired to network with other nursing students, both undergraduate and graduate, who were focused on using their nursing expertise to change policy. Baccalaureate students becoming aware and active at such an early point in their nursing career is exactly the kind of involvement we need in our country.”

AACN counts on students to bring their voices and advocate for the nursing profession to Capitol Hill each year. UW’s students brought their passion for multiple issues including Title VIII (nursing workforce development programs), increased funding for nursing research and anti-gun violence, and more awareness for opioid treatment access.

See also
University of Wisconsin BSN@Home Program Earns UPCEA Award for 20 Years of Helping Nurses Earn Degrees at Their Own Pace

The students learned how to be active members of change and how to work with other parties to create beneficial health care policy. Nurses are trusted professionals and have a large platform for making their needs known on a federal level.

To learn more about UW Nursing’s role in advocating for the nursing profession on Capitol Hill, visit here.

Share This