HEALTH POLICY AND ADVOCACY EMBEDDED AT EVERY LEVEL OF NURSING EDUCATION By Melody Eaton, Andrea Knopp and Jamie Robinson
Above: Graduate students meet with a representative from Senator Mark Warner’s office on Hill Day.
Below: MSN students at the Russell Senate Building on Hill Day.
Civic engagement is emphasized across the undergraduate curriculum as it pertains to advocacy, ethics and legal issues in nursing practice. First, students are introduced to the role of the nurse as an advocate. Next, students explore ethical and legal issues, applying concepts to case studies. Finally, students participate in the Health Policy Summit to propose revisions to legislative bills, addressing ethical considerations while considering issues important to nursing. At the graduate level, students participate directly with state and federal policymakers in Richmond and Washington D.C. Advocacy and Health Policy Highlights: • All BSN students participate in the Health Policy Summit, where they work in interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to issues affecting health. Each semester, 30 student groups collaborate to evaluate
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SCHOOL OF NURSING MAGAZINE
