Nurse Advocacy and the CARES Act: Legislation Through Nursing Leadership

The CARES Act and Nursing Advocacy

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act became law in March 2020. While not solely due to nurse advocacy, nurses played a crucial role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic (Congress.Gov, n.d.). The act allocated funds to support care services during the pandemic, expanded telehealth services, and supported healthcare workers at the forefront. It also provided resources and funding for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), COVID-19 testing, and vaccinations.

Professional Nursing Organizations' Role

Professional nursing organizations provided guidance by sharing evidence-informed information on COVID-19 management, developing resources supporting nursing practice, and providing updates on public health measures (Chiu et al., 2021). Nurses in these organizations addressed ethics, culturally-safe care decision-making on PPE use and vaccination.

Steps to Continue Advocacy

Nurses can continue advocacy by actively engaging in the legislative process, pushing for health policies that improve working conditions, promote access to quality care, and address health disparities. This includes engaging in lobbying efforts, communicating with lawmakers, and participating in grassroots advocacy at federal and state levels. Through collaboration with other healthcare providers, nurses can have a collective voice that positively affects policy decisions (Nsiah et al., 2019). Nurses' contributions to data collection and research provide evidence-based support for advocacy efforts.

References

• Chiu, P., Cummings, G. G., Thorne, S., & Schick-Makaroff, K. (2021). Policy advocacy and nursing organizations: A scoping review. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 22(4), 276-296. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8600587/
• Congress.Gov. (n.d.). S.3548 - 116th Congress (2019-2020). https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3548/text
• Nsiah, C., Siakwa, M., & Ninnoni, J. P. (2019). Registered nurses' description of patient advocacy. Nursing Open, 6(3), 1124-1132. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6650676/