Assess The Difference Between A Lobbyist And An Advocate
Throughout history, nurses have intervened on behalf of patients and families to improve aspects of patient care. One of the ways that nurses advocate for patients is by influencing the policies that impact health inequities. These inequities that nurses observe day-to-day are linked to larger societal issues that cause disparities between populations. Because nurses see the barriers that stand in the way of healthy habits, they can be the force of change within government (Cohen & Marshall, 2016). Nurses are well-suited for this role due to the extended amount of time spent at the bedside. We know our patients well. We observe them and know what they need as individuals and as a group. Our unique viewpoint is a valuable resource to
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Both accomplish this by informing lawmakers of their constituents’ concerns. An advocate is defined as an unpaid citizen who spends less than 20% of their time advocating. They make their living working in another primary career. Another difference between advocates and lobbyists is that advocates do not represent an organization or special-interest group while lobbyists do. Lobbyists are paid to influence policymakers by engaging with government officials for more than 20% of their time. So the differences between a lobbyist and an advocate are whether they represent a group, whether they get paid to lobby, and the percent of their time that they spend influencing lawmakers. As stated before, advocates and lobbyists are similar in that both are trying to change policymaking by interacting with policymakers (Mason, Gardner, Outlaw & O’Grady, …show more content…
With a population of around three million members, nurses constitute the largest health care group in the country (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). If nurses would take note of the health care issues that they see around them and then act to solve them, they could make huge strides in eliminating health disparities. For those who are interested in getting politically involved, the AACN has a range of activities to choose from. What nurses do today to improve patient outcomes will have repercussions for our own health care as well as the health care for our families in the
Both accomplish this by informing lawmakers of their constituents’ concerns. An advocate is defined as an unpaid citizen who spends less than 20% of their time advocating. They make their living working in another primary career. Another difference between advocates and lobbyists is that advocates do not represent an organization or special-interest group while lobbyists do. Lobbyists are paid to influence policymakers by engaging with government officials for more than 20% of their time. So the differences between a lobbyist and an advocate are whether they represent a group, whether they get paid to lobby, and the percent of their time that they spend influencing lawmakers. As stated before, advocates and lobbyists are similar in that both are trying to change policymaking by interacting with policymakers (Mason, Gardner, Outlaw & O’Grady, …show more content…
With a population of around three million members, nurses constitute the largest health care group in the country (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). If nurses would take note of the health care issues that they see around them and then act to solve them, they could make huge strides in eliminating health disparities. For those who are interested in getting politically involved, the AACN has a range of activities to choose from. What nurses do today to improve patient outcomes will have repercussions for our own health care as well as the health care for our families in the