AzNA member Seago shares what she learned from AzNA Lobbyist Rory Hays.
So you are wondering if you have a voice, if what you have to say will be heard among your peers and your government. Enter Rory Hays, JD, a lawyer who represents every member of AzNA. A graduate of Arizona State University (ASU) and a lobbyist for 21 years, she has been with AzNA since 1990.
Hays serves as the middleman, listening to what nurses have to say and then passing that information along to the people who need to hear it most, the legislature. Nurses benefit greatly from having someone to speak on their behalf.
One such success was the passage in 2003 of the Patient Safety Reporting Bill, also called "Whistleblower Protection." It provides nurses job protection in regard to reporting safety concerns. Rory found this bill important because of its content and the allies that were forged in the efforts to fight off the bill's opponents, which included the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. This bill helps to cement nurses' role as patient advocate.
Hays describes her role as threefold: first, representation of AzNA members before the public policy makers; second, to assure that nursing has a voice in the legislature, as well as to provide input on issues concerning health care; and finally, to help nurses get involved in policy-making by means of committees, boards, commissions, etc. The nursing community is being asked to provide input via these groups. Requesting nursing input validates our opinions.
She enjoys representing the voice of nursing for numerous reasons, including patient advocate status and our visibility in the world. As she put it, "Everyone has one [nurse] in their family". She urges all AzNA members to get involved.
Those who attended Nurses Legislative Day on Feb. 24, 2006, had the opportunity to meet Rory in person. As she provided the "Arizona Legislative Healthcare Briefing."
AzNA has a legislative committee and there are other organizations which help affect health care policy- all of these organizations welcome help and guidance. Those of you who think Court TV is interesting, just imagine the State legislature.
I encourage you to attend Nurses Lobby Day on Thursday, March 23, or the Nurse Practitioner Lobby Day on Thursday, March 30. Rory will be an integral part of both days. For more information see the AzNA web site at www.aznurse.org or call 480.831.0404.
Diane Seago RN, MSN, FNP-C, Del E. Webb Pain Clinic
Arizona Nurse, Mar 2006 by Seago, Diane
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2 comments:
Its a lot of political rhetoric as at the end of the day U.S. Quality Patient safety is still rated last in the industrialized world. Not to mention the most costly. This is common knowledge. Many nurses still don't report safety issues out of fear of retaliations from employers who report them to the AZBON for unprofessional conduct, amongst other complaints. The so called nurses' Azna, and the like, pile up the political rhetoric for the regulatory agencies to inflict additional blind regulation through evaluations like pyschological assessments and substance abuse which may have a ring of validity to it but reality is half the drunks and doppers never get reported after being caught!! The entire system is about money, How much does Rory Hays Make??How about Robin S?? These organizations are window dressing and only want the money. Patient safety is worst now than ever!! The whole country now knows this.
These people are in these positions but are in bed with the Board of Nursing?
You cannot be a nurse advocate and go hand in hand with the BON. It doesnt work, not for nurses.
time to give Robin the BOOT.
She has failed miserably, very unprofessional.
I think Rory Needs to give her credentials, and her accomplishments, not just feed off the grant money. but DO something for nurses , not these professional student, dont want to work the bedside , lazy liars , want to be in charge, but know nothing crew.
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