Political Participation of Registered Nurses and Factors Influencing Participation

Vandenhouten, Christine

Monday, 31 October 2011: 3:35 PM

Christine Vandenhouten, PhD, RN¹
Crystalmichelle Malakar, BSN, RN²
Derryl Block, PhD, RN³
Sylvia Kubsch, PhD, RN¹
Susan Gallagher-Lepak, PhD, RN¹
(1)Professional Program in Nursing, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Green Bay, WI
(2)Bellin Psychiatric Center, Bellin Health, Green Bay, WI
(3)Professional Program in Nursing, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Green Bay, WI, American Samoa

Learning Objective 1: Participants will understand the factors predicting nurses’ political participation.

Learning Objective 2: Participants will describe opportunities for nursing education and nursing organizations to engage nurses in health policy.

U.S. registered nurses (RNs) are 2.6 million strong yet there is limited data about their political participation (US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). Using the Civic Voluntarism Model (Verba, Schlozman, & Brady, 1995), this descriptive, predictive study measured political involvement of RNs, and factors affecting their participation including resources, psychological engagement, and recruitment networks. A sample of 468 RNs from the Midwest completed a 79 item on-line survey (Cronbach’s α= .95).

Psychological engagement was most predictive of political participation with the dimensions of political interest, political efficacy, and political information/knowledge highly significant. While respondents reported it was important for nurses to know about political issues (86%), only 40% felt they could impact local decisions and fewer felt they could impact state or national government decisions (32%). Nursing education did not strengthen engagement as most respondents (80%) indicated nursing courses lacked political content with little preparation for political participation. Similarly the regression model showed resources contributed to political participation with time/money most significant. There was no appreciable difference found, however, among those with caregiving responsibilities or student status. Nurses engaged in primarily “low cost” activities (i.e., voting, discussing politics, and contacting elected officials).

Nurse educators and professional organizations must cultivate political interest, efficacy and knowledge among students and nurses. Continuing education workshops to strengthen political interest, efficacy, and civic knowledge/skills are a priority while emphasizing activities with greatest impact for the least cost (i.e., communicating with legislators, use of social media, tracking healthcare legislation, and volunteer opportunities). The focus of education should be connecting personal actions with the potential to impact legislation resulting in enhanced personal efficacy, civic knowledge, and skills. Ultimately, nurses’ input is needed to ensure that health policy is designed and implemented with expert knowledge of patient care.

See more of: Nurses Participating in Public Policy Initiatives
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