Before meeting with your legislator, get to know as much as possible about his or her background, special interests or initatives, voting record, committee assignments, and involvement with health policy issues.

Prepare your position, including a list of talking points to assist you during the discussion.

Investigate both sides of the issue, but stay focused on the facts.

Request a meeting for at least 15 to 30 minutes.

Practice your presentation with a friend or colleague to gain comfort with the content and to anticipate questions that may arise.

If the legislator is not available, meet with the legislative aide or staff member who has a good knowledge of the issues.

Be on time and be professional.

Introduce yourself and thank the legislator or legislative aide for their time and interest.

Be prepared to explain what you do as a nurse, your philosophy of care, and the impact of pending legislation on health care and care delivery for the legislator’s constituents.

Use concise and explicit examples from your practice to illustrate your position.

Be prepared to offer additional information or solutions, but stick to the facts.

If the legislator or legislative aide indicates support for your position, ask what you can do to reach other legislators or sponsors.

Provide an opportunity to answer any questions and offer any additional assistance on the circumstances of the proposed legislation or regulation.

Send a follow-up thank you note for the time spent and restate your position.

You may even want to follow your interview with a well-worded letter to the editor on your position to the local newspaper—and perhaps gain further support among other constituents.

Be prepared, with:

...a full, well-developed written statement and talking points

...an understanding of the committee process and regulatory structure

...an anticipation of any follow-up questions you may be asked

Be on time.

Be confident in your abilities and knowledge base, and remain calm.

Be flexible; you may not have the time for your presentation that you were told.

Recognize the members of the body ("Mr./Madam Chairperson and members of the _____ Committee"), and thank them for allowing you the opportunity to address them.

Introduce yourself and be respectful.

Do not read your written testimony; ask to have it placed in the record.

Use the talking points to present your case and focus on the facts.

Try to use concise and exppcit examples from your practice to illustrate your position.

Do not go over your allocated time.

Leave time at the end of your presentation for any questions from the members.

Thank the committee for the opportunity to present your testimony at the end.

See the following links for more information on the political process, to get involved, and to download sample letters and testimony:

The American Nurses Association: http://www.nursingworld.org

American Nurses Association Nursing facts: http://nursingworld.org/readroom/fsdemogrpt.htm#summ

American Nurses Association Nursing’s agenda for the future: http://www.nursingworld.org/readroom/rnagenda.htm

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation

Federal Election Commission (2003) FAQ and the BRCA and other new rules:
http://www.fec.gov

National Council of State Boards of Nursing: http://www.ncsbn.org

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission: http://www.nlnac.org/home.htm

THOMAS, U.S. Congress on the Internet: http://thomas.loc.gov

U.S. Constitution:
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacysummary.pdf

U.S. Government Web Portal:
http://firstgov.gov