Political Advocacy: Working to get Nurse Champions Elected

"By working with other nurses and our state association, a nurse’s voice is amplified along with those of other nurses. Together we represent a powerful constituency."

Jeremy King, RN, BSN

In November 2017 nurses had a chance to elect a nurse-friendly candidate to the Washington state legislature. I worked with the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) to help elect Manka Dhingra to the state Senate.

WSNA’s PAC did the work of vetting Manka and making sure her platform aligned with nursing’s interests. The challenge when working on political change for an individual is getting your voice heard. By working with other nurses and our state association, a nurse’s voice is amplified along with those of other nurses.

Together we represent a powerful constituency. With Manka Dhingra’s candidacy, Washington state nurses had a chance to make a real difference in the outcome of a campaign that would have direct ramifications on our patients' health. I was able to help by donating my time to make phone calls, supporting WSNA-PAC’s decision to support Manka financially, and requesting fellow nurses to vote for Manka. It can be intimidating working on a campaign. Knocking doors and cold calling people to talk to them about politics is uncomfortable at first. When I worked with other nurses as a group it felt right and natural. I really felt like I was working on something to help my community and my patients.

Taking my nursing advocacy to the political arena was a great experience.