title: Nurse matters: assuming your role in advocacy.
abstract: I hope others will consider joining those of us in nursing who have taken the leap into public policy. Being involved in the public policy process is an integral role to nursing and a mechanism for excellence. Our public policy role is just as important as serving as a clinician, researcher, or educator. This offers nurses a choice to become involved to advance the nursing profession, the American healthcare system, and the public welfare and good. We have heard the expression: "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." Well, in politics, how you play the game can determine whether you win or lose an issue, and as nurses we have great power in numbers. The time is ripe to become involved - this is the call to political action for excellence in nursing in home health and hospice care. I welcome your participation!
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Joint Faculty, Urban Affairs, University of Delaware, USA. blong@UDel.Edu [corrected]
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hall-Long
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006291:Health Policy; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011050:Policy Making; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012956:Societies, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States