ANA\C The Nursing Voice Spring 2019

anacalifornia.org  .  7 Legislative Director’s Summary By Lindsay Sandberg Duggan, MS, BSN, RN, CPHRM—Legislative Director As my first term on ANA\C board ends, I want to reflect on my experiences and the accomplishments this board has achieved since 2017. We all jumped head-first into a whirlwind of process improvement and streamlining our policies. This was my first time as a board member, and I found the learning curve to be steep. I was trying to understand my role as a board member and how I can positively impact an incredible organization. With the assistance of the amazing members of the board and ANA\C staff, I grew to understand how to support the organization and be the true advocate for nursing I always dreamed of becoming. As the Legislative Director for ANA\C, I always felt a significant responsibility as advocacy is our core business. My focus for this term was making recommendations for future legislative directions, organizing the subject matter experts in our membership, and harnessing this knowledge to create momentum in the legislative arena. The amazing mentorship of the board has not only supported my professional growth, but also saw me through getting married in September 2018! The biggest opportunity we have for organizing nurses across California is through our “RN Day on the Capitol” which will be taking place on April 29 at the Capitol in Sacramento! This annual 2019 Board Summaries event brings nurses from all fields of nursing to the capitol building to learn about current legislative topics and to hear from a diverse number of speakers who bring different perspectives about policy issues. Our Executive Director, Marketa Houskova, and our lobbyist, Roxanne Gould, will present on how to have the tough conversations with legislators in order to educate them on topics important to nurses. In the second half of the day, participants will meet with their legislative representatives or staff to discuss issues that affect nursing and the quality care of our patients. The importance of “RN Day on the Capitol” cannot be understated. It is our responsibility as nurses to educate and advocate for our patients. An effective way to accomplish this is to storm the capitol with a vision and passion for our profession and the work that we do every day. I have also found this event to be an excellent way to network with our fellow nurses to create connections that will grow into future partnerships in advocacy. The future of nursing is banding together to strengthen our influence and empower the next generation. It has been such an honor to serve as the Legislative Director since 2017. I have seen this organization grow into its own, with coalitions seeking our support. We’ve also become more visible with our participation in the “No to Prop 8” commercials. I am extremely proud to be a nurse and an ANA\C board member! Membership Director’s Summary By Tanya Davis, BSN, RN, PHN—Membership Director As the Membership Director of ANA\C for the past two years, it has been an educational experience filled with many memories. Along with the exceptional board, I have been allowed to develop immensely in my professional practice. Although I would love to continue with the board, life has other plans for me and my future. However, I believe strongly in giving new voices a chance to be heard, bringing new inspirational ideas and innovative practices. My time as a Membership Director had brought me the privilege of networking with many amazing nurse leaders and system influencers at various conferences I attended. Some were geared toward students, others towards nursing leadership and education. The enthusiasm and passion that our state nurse leaders demonstrate is a motivation to remain an advocate for our state nurses. ANA\C is not immune to its ups and downs, we are steadfast in growing and learning. While our student membership and involvement continue to grow, we in leadership positions can develop as mentors to help guide this generation of nurses in today’s climate of political and healthcare policy change. For this year and the years to come, I have high hopes for ANA\C and our state nurses. I hope to see nurses involved not only in our hospital systems, but in various levels of our local and state government. We have a unique and powerful voice; our perspective is unmatched as we carry the title of the most trusted profession . When our Nurse Practitioners receive full practice autonomy, I want to confidently say that the efforts of ANA\C contributed to this movement along with the amazing nurses that make up our membership. I want to be able to say all the powerful and progressive organizations on California worked together and had broken their silos towards a worthy goal for all nurses. When we as nurses benefit, our patients benefit , and this is the ultimate goal.