NPI held it’s inaugural Policy Forum, in Washington, DC on May 15, 2006. A gathering of 40 policy nurses met to hear Celinda Lake, one of the nation’s foremost experts on electing women candidates and on framing issues to women voters. Ms. Lake discussed her latest research which served as the basis for her award winning book, entitled, What Women Really Want: How Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live (2005). After hearing the speaker, the policy nurses, who are masters at networking, searched out colleagues to get updates on latest policy projects. Everyone agreed that NPI is critically needed to be the catalyst to connect all policy nurses!

The founders of NPI are coordinating several presentations regarding business opportunities for School of Nursing Deans attending the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s 2006 fall meeting. In addition to NPI speakers, representatives from the insurance, pharmaceutical, and community businesses will be represented.

NPI founders have many years experience as participants in the policy-making process -- as lobbyists, staff in government positions, editors and authors, and health policy faculty. Specific qualifications and significant presentations will be sent upon request.

The NPI is committed to assisting nursing educators in the enhancement of existing health policy courses by helping them to find ways to offer strategic policy content in their curriculum. The group plans to initiate a mentoring program so that faculty, and those who want to broaden their expertise in health policy have the opportunity to engage in hands-on, personally-tailored, learning. NPI’s overall goal is to engage and mentor a new group of nurse policy experts to meet current and future challenges to the healthcare system.

The founders and officers of NPI will meet with Deans and Associate Deans to evaluate existing health policy content for currency, and presentation of key issues that impact the nation’s healthcare system. Beginning and advanced policy skills may likewise be a target for review and development. Role and career planning are pivotal to assure the future contribution of the nurse policy expert. Building a curriculum which includes the opportunity for hands-on contact with policymakers at the State and/or Federal level will be stressed as well as adequate time for networking with policy peers. Interdisciplinary involvement in teaching and assistance in developing a sound, scientifically-based program of study is tantamount to a successful outcome.

More to come!

Milstead, Jeri A. (Ed.) (2008). Health policy and politics, A Nurse’s Guide (3rd edition).  Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.