I am grateful for this chance to serve you all as the 2016-2017 CNSA Legislative Director. I believe that each of us has an important story and voice that can and should be heard, and I hope that I can in some way act as an amplifier to allow all of your voices to be heard this coming year.

My own nursing student story began back in 2013 when I had an epiphany that changed the course of my life. I realized that I was meant to be a nurse! A friend who would make you smile on your worst days. An advocate that would fight for you when you have no one else. And a teacher that would help you improve the quality of your life. That realization gave me a focus as I worked through and overcame the prerequisite classes we all must take. It also guided me to the school where I now proudly study nursing, Sacramento State!

Nurses and nursing students have a unique and important perspective and we need to have our voices be heard! At the bedside, each one of us already acts as an advocate for our patients and our practice, but I believe we can advocate even more powerfully than that. By speaking up to our elected officials and getting involved in the legislative process we can have our influence be felt across our State and Country! My hope and goal for this coming year is that we raise our voices in the Capitol and make a difference, and I will strive to help us accomplish that.

Goals for 2016-2017: 

• Create a Legislative Toolkit to help nursing students discover how easy it is to get involved in the legislative process.
• Create and regularly update a Legislative Calendar that will have important dates for healthcare related bills being heard in the Capitol. We will post this calendar to the CNSA website and inform our members about the resource.
• The Legislative Committee will find bills that are currently being considered in the California Legislature or the idea for bills that are important to us and work towards getting CNSA’s members involved in supporting them.
• Facilitate opportunities for CNSA members to meet with Legislators and other important members of the nursing advocacy community, as well as trips to the Capitol to attend and speak at Senate and Assembly Committee hearings.
• Help local chapters add a Legislative Director position to help coordinate legislative involvement.

Contact: [email protected]