title: Priority setting and policy advocacy by nursing associations: a scoping review and implications using a socio-ecological whole systems lens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We undertook an interpretative scoping review to examine organizational priority setting and policy advocacy and the factors that influence nursing associations' cross-sector public policy choices and actions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evidence was drawn from research, narrative, and theoretical sources that described priority setting and policy advocacy undertaken by non-governmental, non-profit, and nursing associations. Text was extracted from selected papers, imported into NVivo 8, coded, and analyzed using a descriptive-analytical narrative method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many internal and external factors are shown to shape organizations' policy choices and actions including governance and governance structures, membership arrangements, legislative, professional, and jurisdictional mandates, perceived credibility, and external system disruptions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internal and external factors are identified in the literature as critical to how organizations succeed or fail to set achievable priorities and advance their advocacy goals. Case comparisons and longitudinal research are needed to understand nursing associations' policy choices and actions for cross-sector public policy given their complex organizational structures and dynamic professional-legal-social-economic-political-ecological environments. A socio-ecological systems perspective can inform the development of theoretical frameworks and research to understand leverage points and blockages to guide nursing associations' public policy choices and actions at varying points in time.
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, Roger-Guindon Hall, 451 Smyth, Room 118K, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8M5. jmacd069@uottawa.ca
authors.forename: Jo-Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marck
authors.forename: Judith Read
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guernsey
mesh_terms: D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000458:organization & administration; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011050:Policy Making; D011640:Public Policy; D012956:Societies, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*