The call to action the Emergency Nurses Association sends its members exemplifies what they believe can happen when they use their power: “Your experience helps ENA be a leading and influential voice on public policy affecting emergency nursing,” according to the . The association’s activism is proof positive of its voice in nursing. The ENA has set the bar high for themselves and other professional nursing organizations when it comes to taking a leadership role in legislative change that affects healthcare. Think about who we are as nurses, what we do, and the power we have. We are the largest group of healthcare professionals in the nation; our voice is almost 3 million strong. We know the issues that it is through advocacy and action that change can happen. As members of one of our professional nursing organizations, together we can get the job done! We need to be the ones who stand up and speak out — the advocates who call senators and other political representatives, initiate white papers and proposals, write Letters of Intent and get to the decision makers. The good news is many of our nursing organizations are doing all these things.

The many are one force

The National Association for Home Care and Hospice have calls to action for membership on their website urging nurses to in Washington D.C. The Policy Committee of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses uses its power as a group of nurses to uphold NAHN’s mission and make change by advocating for public policy issues, many of which are listed on the organization’s website. We all know that a nurse can be a change agent, so never stop looking for ways to be one. Ready to graduate or ready to retire, you can have your voice heard. But being part of the collective voice of your professional nursing organization can make it louder.