Roadmap for Successful Political Advocacy: Linking Virginia's Story to Public Policy-Making Theory

Public Health Nurses, health care professionals and local communities have often underestimated their ability to educate legislators and the public on the value of public health, public health professionals, and community-based need for policy change. One success story and case study with a slightly different context lends guidance to public and community health advocacy efforts to delineate a model for effective political advocacy and differentiate successful advocacy strategies for health policy change.

In 2007, Virginia’s community of nurses rose to a challenge. There was a bottle­neck of students waiting for admission to Virginia nursing programs. Nursing leaders knew that recruiting and retaining qualified faculty was a huge challenge. In addi­tion, they felt that furthering nurses’ educational levels would prove the best route to increase the number of quali­fied nursing faculty. They felt that these initiatives would improve nursing school capacities in Virginia (VNA, 2007).

Virginia nurses addressed the shortage by introducing legislation to improve faculty salaries and promote nursing education. They fully defined their problem, formed a unified coalition to develop a solution, and found the political environment favorable for policy change. Their advocacy success story lends guidance and encouragement for advocacy related to community health planning and public health policy initiatives. Linking their successful road to policy change to the B. B. Longest (2010) public policy-making framework provides a model and roadmap for success.

Longest, B. B. (2010). 

Virginia Nurses Association (January, 2007).