‘If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu’: Political advocacy critical for nurses

AUSTIN, Texas — Rheumatology nurses can be effective advocates for legislation that will benefit patients despite the fractured U.S. political climate, according to a presenter at the 2023 Rheumatology Nurses Society annual conference.

“There is hope in advocacy,” Matt Duckworth, vice president of government relations at Hart Health Strategies, a lobbying firm specializing in health care issues based in Washington, D.C., told attendees.

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” he added. “Advocacy is a contact sport.”

According to Duckworth, it is important to understand that members of Congress and their staff are often overwhelmed. And although policymakers may care about health care in a general sense, rheumatology nurses and patients need advocates to provide information to help legislators make decisions on these issues.

Duckworth reminded RNS attendees they are not just voters, taxpayers and constituents, but also experts and community leaders. This makes members of Congress more likely to listen when they speak, he added

“Your profession has the highest confidence of any profession in the Gallup polling over the last 50 years,” Duckworth said.

For rheumatology professionals hoping to step into the advocacy arena, one of the most important qualities to have is persistence.

“Once you get in touch with a congressperson or their staffer, you have to stay in touch with them,” Duckworth said.

Although some might expect to communicate with the actual congressperson, Duckworth stressed that staffers play a large role in the decisions the legislator ultimately supports.

“You have to get that staffer’s attention and persuade them,” he said.

Emails, phone calls and notes on the legislator’s official dot-gov website all can be effective forms of first contact.

Would-be advocates must also carefully consider their message.

“RNS has provided grassroots messaging and talking points,” Duckworth said, urging attendees to familiarize themselves with those messages.

Nurses can personalize that message based on their individual experience or patient anecdotes, he added.

For those who find themselves in Washington, D.C., it is possible to request a meeting with a legislator. Duckworth stressed that preparation for a meeting with a congressional staffer is critical.

“Know the bill numbers and names you are advocating for,” he said. “Be yourself. Consider real-world stories. You are showing them how this bill will affect patients.”

Speaking the “language of advocacy” is also key in these meetings, according to Duckworth.

“Open with your ‘ask,’” he said. “End with your ‘ask.’ Tell them, ‘I need you to sponsor this bill.’ Tell them why it is going to help patients who are constituents in their district or their state.”

Involving patients can also be highly effective in persuading congresspeople and their staff to support a piece of legislation, Duckworth added.

“Choose a patient who is a good communicator,” he said. “Prepare with the patient. Have a pre-call, align your arguments, make sure you have done some rehearsal. You don’t want people going off topic.”

After the meeting, once again, persistence is essential.

“If you don’t know the answer to something, just tell them, ‘I don’t know, but I’m happy to get back to you,’” Duckworth said. “This opens the door and it tells the congressperson that you are willing to do work after you leave the meeting. That is how you build trust and create the connection.”

As a final point, Duckworth stressed that patience is required in the advocacy arena. A bill can take an average of 7 years to 9 years to go from initial introduction to arriving on the president’s desk for a signature.

“Don’t expect an immediate answer,” he said. “Respect the process.”