Nursing Advocacy Initiative

Nurse-led, data-driven, non-partisan.

Professional advocacy that inspires hope and transforms healthcare for Virginia and beyond.

UVA’s professional nurses are the best in their field and, as clinicians with extensive patient care experience, are uniquely situated to use their expertise and wisdom to advocate for best solutions. Advocacy is built into the nursing profession – nurses advocate for their patients every time they work – and there is a long history of nurses as public health advocates, going back to Florence Nightingale herself. Legislators rely on citizen advocates to fill in the gaps as they draft or modify legislation, and UVA’s Nursing Advocacy Initiative (NAI) nurse ambassadors play an important role by helping illuminate how specific policies would impact patients or the nursing profession.

UVA NAI nurse ambassadors with Delegate Katrina Callsen at the General Assembly Building

Any current UVA professional nurse is welcome to participate in professional advocacy through the NAI, though it is not a requirement of any nursing job. Nurses may choose to share a nurse narrative or take a more active role by becoming a nurse ambassador. Nurse ambassadors participate in an annual training session in December, attend NAI’s Advocacy Day each January, and have the opportunity to meet with legislators and participate in policy work groups throughout the year. Nurse ambassadors work in a relevant clinical setting or are subject matter experts, and their expertise, experience, and generosity of time is immeasurable and deeply appreciated.

Questions, feedback? Contact Leanne Fox at Leanne.Fox@uvahealth.org.