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Advancing Your Career: Concepts of Professional Nursing, 3rd Edition
By
Rose Kearney-Nunnery, RN, PhD, Technical College of the Lowcountry, Beaufort, South Carolina
Politics In Action
"Politics in Action" resources encourage students to foster leadership in health policy-making. Contents include useful tips for talking to legislatures and presenting testimony. Laws that impact policy-making have also been included, such as constitutional and statuary laws.
General Information
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Politics in Action
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Types of Laws
Tips for Talking to Legislators
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Tips for Presenting Testimony
Top of Page
General Information
| Branches and Terms of Office | ||
| Senate | House of Representatives |
Presidency |
| Number | ||
|
100 senators (two from each state) Equal representation Senior Senator (elected first) and Junior Senator |
435 Members Representation based on state population, minimum of one from each state with reapportionment every 10 years based on the U.S. Census The House also includes delegates from the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and Puerto Rico with voting rights in committees but not in matters before the full House of Representatives. |
One In the case of the inability of the President to fulfill his or her role, succession of power occurs as follows: Vice President as second in line, then Speaker of the House, and then President Pro Tempore of the Senate |
| Terms | ||
| Elected for a term of 6 years, on alternate schedule | Elected for a term of 2 years | Elected for a term of 4 years |
| Reelection | ||
| Every 2 years, one third of senators face reelection | Entire membership is up for reelection every 2 years | Eligible for re-election once (two-term limit) |
| Qualifications | ||
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At least 30 years of age Citizen of United States for 9 years Resident of the state represented when elected |
At least 25 years of age Citizen of United States for 7 years Resident of the state represented when elected |
At least 35 years of age A natural-born citizen of the United States and a resident for at least 14 years |
General Information
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Politics in Action
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Types of Laws
Tips for Talking to Legislators
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Tips for Presenting Testimony
Top of Page
| Politics in Action |
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See the following links for more information on the political process, to get involved, and to download sample letters and testimony:
The American Nurses Association: http://www.nursingworld.org American Nurses Association Nursing facts: http://nursingworld.org/readroom/fsdemogrpt.htm#summ American Nurses Association Nursing’s agenda for the future: http://www.nursingworld.org/readroom/rnagenda.htm Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation Federal Election Commission (2003) FAQ and the BRCA and other new rules: http://www.fec.gov National Council of State Boards of Nursing: http://www.ncsbn.org National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission: http://www.nlnac.org/home.htm THOMAS, U.S. Congress on the Internet: http://thomas.loc.gov U.S. Constitution: http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacysummary.pdf U.S. Government Web Portal: http://firstgov.gov |
General Information
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Politics in Action
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Types of Laws
Tips for Talking to Legislators
|
Tips for Presenting Testimony
Top of Page
| Types of Laws | ||
| Type | Description | Example |
| Constitutional | Specific guarantees granted by the U.S. Constitution | Freedom of speech |
| Statutory | Formal laws enacted by federal, state, and local legislative branches of government | Nurse Practice Act |
| Administrative | Regulations created by administrative agencies under the direction of the executive branch of government | Regulations associated with the Nurse Practice Act to assist with implementation |
| Court, Case, or Common law | Laws created from judicial decisions. Judgments create a precedent on which future decisions are based. | "Miranda Rights" must be read before an arrestee is taken into custody. |
General Information
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Politics in Action
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Types of Laws
Tips for Talking to Legislators
|
Tips for Presenting Testimony
Top of Page
| Tips for Talking to Legislators |
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Before meeting with your legislator, get to know as much as possible about his or her background, special interests or initatives, voting record, committee assignments, and involvement with health policy issues.
Prepare your position, including a list of talking points to assist you during the discussion. Investigate both sides of the issue, but stay focused on the facts. Request a meeting for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Practice your presentation with a friend or colleague to gain comfort with the content and to anticipate questions that may arise. If the legislator is not available, meet with the legislative aide or staff member who has a good knowledge of the issues. Be on time and be professional. Introduce yourself and thank the legislator or legislative aide for their time and interest. Be prepared to explain what you do as a nurse, your philosophy of care, and the impact of pending legislation on health care and care delivery for the legislator’s constituents. Use concise and explicit examples from your practice to illustrate your position. Be prepared to offer additional information or solutions, but stick to the facts. If the legislator or legislative aide indicates support for your position, ask what you can do to reach other legislators or sponsors. Provide an opportunity to answer any questions and offer any additional assistance on the circumstances of the proposed legislation or regulation. Send a follow-up thank you note for the time spent and restate your position. You may even want to follow your interview with a well-worded letter to the editor on your position to the local newspaper—and perhaps gain further support among other constituents. |
General Information
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Politics in Action
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Types of Laws
Tips for Talking to Legislators
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Tips for Presenting Testimony
Top of Page
| Tips for Presenting Testimony |
Be confident in your abilities and knowledge base, and remain calm. Be flexible; you may not have the time for your presentation that you were told. Recognize the members of the body ("Mr./Madam Chairperson and members of the _____ Committee"), and thank them for allowing you the opportunity to address them. Introduce yourself and be respectful. Do not read your written testimony; ask to have it placed in the record. Use the talking points to present your case and focus on the facts. Try to use concise and explicit examples from your practice to illustrate your position. Do not go over your allocated time. Leave time at the end of your presentation for any questions from the members. Thank the committee for the opportunity to present your testimony at the end. |
General Information
|
Politics in Action
|
Types of Laws
Tips for Talking to Legislators
|
Tips for Presenting Testimony
Top of Page
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