Methods: This research is a descriptive study. Concepts of relationship-building are examined through the lens of The Relationship-Based Care Model. Relationships developed as a part of clinical care and health policy work are described, and these relationships are compared.
Results: The analysis shows that relationship-building skills that nurses are taught for clinical care are transferable to the health policy arena. Communication techniques that are called therapeutic communication techniques such as active listening, using silence, and restating what is understand can be used in face-to-face and telephone interactions with officials. In written communication, nurses have excellent documentation skills that can be used in policy analysis as well as when writing emails and letters to officials. Nurses also have had education about nonverbal cues in communication which are needed when building strong relationships with stakeholders and officials. Nurses are accustomed to being leaders in a team as well as being effective team members; therefore, they are positioned well to be coalition leaders or members.
Conclusion: Nurses are experts in relationship-building. The Relationship-Based Care Model is the model used as the lens to examine how the skills that nurses are taught and use every day in the clinical area can be transferred to work in health policy. Nurses are taught many of the communication skills that are necessary for effective interactions in the health policy arena. The skills that nurses have developed through being a part of a healthcare team make them well-positioned to be effective coalition leaders. Nursing education has an opportunity to help each nurse find his or her policy voice by demonstrating how the relationship-building skills used with their patients can also be used in health policy work to advocated safe and effective patient care.