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Virginia Nurses Today - August 2020

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www.<strong>Virginia</strong><strong>Nurses</strong>.com | <strong>Virginia</strong> <strong>Nurses</strong> <strong>Today</strong> <strong>August</strong>, September, October <strong>2020</strong> | Page 15<br />

Reflections on the Loss of a Civil Rights Icon continued<br />

from page 1<br />

PRROGGRRAAAM AAAGGENDAAA<br />

John Lewis recount that day personally, was<br />

my greatest and most memorable experience.<br />

I have had the pleasure of being in his<br />

company and listening to him share stories<br />

about his imprisonments (40 at last count), his<br />

sit-ins including one on the floor of Congress<br />

for gun control, and his Boy from Troy (a name<br />

bestowed on him by Dr. Martin Luther King)<br />

adventures. The man who was often late to<br />

his appointments, because he would stop to<br />

give a hug, take a picture, or to acknowledge<br />

an ordinary person, will be missed, but he will<br />

always be remembered for his extraordinary<br />

and selfless acts to ensure diversity, equity,<br />

and inclusivity.<br />

As nurses and as citizens, we can all honor<br />

the work and legacy of Congressman Lewis by<br />

exercising our right to vote in each and every<br />

election. Please take a moment to read our<br />

interview and after you're finished, check to<br />

make sure you're registered to vote at https://<br />

www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/ before<br />

the upcoming November election.<br />

Remember, 1 in 80 <strong>Virginia</strong>ns is a registered<br />

nurse, and we have a powerful voice as nurses<br />

in the voting booth!<br />

Dr. McDaniel, and cousin, Paulette Rush after<br />

the 116th Swearing in Ceremony chatting<br />

with Congressman Lewis about his connection<br />

to our family<br />

Why We Need <strong>Nurses</strong> in<br />

Elected Office<br />

As a nurse, you have an incredible opportunity<br />

to influence the future of your profession in <strong>Virginia</strong><br />

through legislative advocacy. In a recent survey<br />

of members, legislative advocacy was identified<br />

as one of the top benefits of membership, and yet<br />

there are only two nurses currently serving in the<br />

<strong>Virginia</strong> General Assembly!! <strong>Nurses</strong> are the largest<br />

healthcare profession in the world and for 18 years<br />

in a row, they have also been voted the most trusted<br />

profession. There are more than 110,000 nurses in<br />

the Commonwealth of <strong>Virginia</strong>, making about 1 in<br />

80 <strong>Virginia</strong>ns a registered nurse!<br />

<strong>Nurses</strong> need to lean on years of the public’s trust<br />

and become involved in health and healthcare policy<br />

making decisions on the local, state, and national<br />

level. There is no one better than a nurse to ensure<br />

the best interests of patients and that our profession<br />

is represented in policy development. <strong>Nurses</strong> have<br />

already mastered the valuable skill of connecting<br />

with people from every walk of life during difficult<br />

times, and running for office is the next logical step.<br />

Any frustrations nurses feel with the profession<br />

and the healthcare industry can be channeled into<br />

advocating for positive change.<br />

The lack of knowledge that policymakers and<br />

politicians have directly affects patients, nurses,<br />

the healthcare environment, and legislation that is<br />

passed. If nurses are not part of the conversation<br />

and continue to have others speak for them, they<br />

are ultimately going to be left behind in a field where<br />

they should be front and center. 1<br />

There are 110,000 reasons to become involved<br />

with <strong>Virginia</strong> legislative advocacy and we’re here to<br />

help. If you are interested in running for office, visit<br />

https://www.elections.virginia.gov/candidatepacinfo/.<br />

To start your advocacy journey, or if you have<br />

advocacy related questions, visit our website, www.<br />

virginianurses.com. If you are unable to run for<br />

office but would still like to be an advocate for the<br />

nursing profession, make sure you are registered to<br />

vote. You can check your voter registration status at<br />

https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.<br />

You can also join VNA at the General Assembly<br />

session every year to help us represent nurses and<br />

the nursing profession! Learn more about our VNA<br />

Lobby Days at https://virginianurses.com/page/<br />

LobbyDays. You can also sign up for VNA Action<br />

Alerts by texting TAKEACTION 84483 to receive text<br />

and email alerts on <strong>Virginia</strong> politics and legislation<br />

related to nursing.<br />

Let your voice be heard!<br />

References<br />

¹ How Can We Be Prepared for the Next Healthcare<br />

Crisis?. Sharon Pearce, MSN, CRNA. <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

John Lewis (far left front row kneeling) and<br />

Rev. Curtis Harris (far right standing) in 1965 two<br />

weeks after Bloody Sunday<br />

Photo Courtesy of Rev. Curtis Harris

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