Enhancing your leadership role
through advocacy

Attendees learned about the impact of advocacy involvement on nursing leadership during the “Enhancing Leadership Skills Through Advocacy” session. Led by Richard Mereu, JD, MBA, ENA chief government relations officer, this session focused on major health care issues facing Congress in 2013 and ways emergency nurses can get involved in advocacy.

Mereu discussed the goals of ENA’s new advocacy department, which include updating emergency nurses on issues that impact the profession, lobbying Congress to pass legislation, stopping harmful legislation from being passed and coordinating grassroots advocacy efforts.

Mereu urged attendees to find ways to get involved through their state councils and chapters, attend town hall meetings, write letters to local newspapers and attend fundraisers. He explained the legislative process and how attendees can contact their senators and representatives.

Mereu also encouraged the audience to stay informed on issues affecting emergency nursing.

“Know what is happening in your state in terms of mental health, violence in the workplace, ACA, and get active and become involved with your elected representatives — federal and state,” he said. “It’s really important to develop an ongoing relationship before a crisis hits.”

Kendra Y. Mims