Delaware Nurses Association monitors nursing and healthcare related bills introduced at Legislative Hall. Issues tracked include but not limited to:

• Scope of practice for nurses
• Expansion in roles of unlicensed assistive personnel
• Workplace/environmental issues including but not limited to the presence and use of chemicals and other hazards
• Workplace violence

"...all nurses are touched by the policy and politics of the health care system...

Nurses need to be a strong voice actively advocating for positive change." -Sheila Abood, 2007

Delaware Nurses Association supports the active participation of all nurses in the political process from voting in elections, educating state and national legislators on nursing and healthcare issues and serving on boards, commissions, and governmental agencies at the local, state, and national levels. As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, nurses have the largest collective power to influence change in health policy. By actively participating in the legislative process and fulfilling their professional obligation to participate in the policy making process, registered nurses can contribute to building a safe, quality, patient centered, accessible, and affordable healthcare system (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Patients and the public benefit from the improved health care quality that results in nurses’ involvement in health policy.

References
Institute of Medicine. (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading, Change, Advancing Health. Washington DC: The National Academies Press.
Sheila Abood, P. R. (2007, January 31). Influencing Health Care in the Legislative Arena. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, pp. Vol. 12 No. 1, Manuscript 2.