The process of lawmaking in the United States is rather complex and involves multiple stages. According to Mason, Gardner, Outlaw, and O’Grady (2015), after the bill is introduced, it is referred to various committees and subcommittees before reaching the floor action and participating in the voting process. After the bill gained the majority vote in both parts of the Congress, a conference action takes place, which determines whether or not the bill is passed to the U.S. President (Mason et al., 2015). Nurses can influence every stage of this process using their expertise and connections to influential nursing organizations.
For instance, during the preliminary stage of issue identification, nurses can draw the lawmakers’ attention to an important health policy problem, thus affecting the subject of the bill. As the bill is referred to committees or subcommittees, nurses can provide testimony and information to committee members in order to influence their decisions regarding the bill. Lobbying efforts can also take place between referral to a subcommittee and the floor action. Even at the final stages of the lawmaking process, nurses can send letters to the President, causing them to veto or sign the bill approved by the Congress. Thus, nurses have a powerful influence throughout the lawmaking process and can advocate for patients using their knowledge and experience.
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