FROM BEDSIDE TO CAPITOL: EMPOWERING ONCOLOGY NURSES AS POLICY ADVOCATES.
Significance & Background: Oncology nurses bring a unique perspective to health policy, informed by direct patient care and professional expertise. Despite their frontline role, structured opportunities to engage in legislative advocacy are often limited. To address this gap, the Oncology Nursing So...
| Published in: | Oncology Nursing Forum Vol. 53; no. 2; p. 237 |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Oncology Nursing Society
Mar2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=194211519&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 194211519 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 0190535X 4F0 jtl: Oncology Nursing Forum issn: 0190535X maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Mar2026 vid: 53 iid: 2 pid: 12496 pub: Oncology Nursing Society place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania artinfo: ui: 194211519 10.1188/26.ONF.e26535271 194211519 ppf: 237 ppct: 0 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P tig: atl: FROM BEDSIDE TO CAPITOL: EMPOWERING ONCOLOGY NURSES AS POLICY ADVOCATES. aug: au: Olivo, Marbely affil: BSN RN, Kaiser Permanente, Anaheim, CA sug: ab: Significance & Background: Oncology nurses bring a unique perspective to health policy, informed by direct patient care and professional expertise. Despite their frontline role, structured opportunities to engage in legislative advocacy are often limited. To address this gap, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and American Nurses Association-California (ANA-CA) convened the California Advocacy Summit. The summit prioritized advancing legislation such as expansion of telehealth oncology services (SB 508) and reform of prior authorization processes (AB 510 and AB 512), initiatives essential for equitable cancer care access and workforce sustainability. Purpose: This quality improvement initiative aimed to strengthen oncology nurses' capacity for health policy advocacy by enhancing legislative literacy, building communication skills, and advancing policy that improves cancer care delivery, nursing practice, and patient access to treatment. Interventions: The summit incorporated multiple advocacy training modalities, including policy briefings, expert-led sessions on healthcare economics and environmental health, and skill-building workshops such as Legislative Visit 101. Participants analyzed policy briefs, developed talking points, and engaged directly with legislators at the California State Capitol. These activities were informed and reinforced by prior experiences with ONS Capitol Hill Days in Washington, D.C., providing both state and national advocacy perspectives. Results: Participants reported increased confidence, advocacy readiness, and ability to articulate the impact of policy barriers such as delayed authorizations and restricted telehealth access. Immediate outcomes included strengthened professional networks, enhanced dialogue with legislators, and contributions to active policy discussions. Anticipated long-term outcomes include sustained nurse participation in advocacy initiatives, improved legislative partnerships, and measurable improvements in timely cancer care access. Discussion: Advocacy is an extension of oncology nursing practice that advances systemic reform and elevates patient voices. The California Advocacy Summit demonstrated that structured advocacy training equips nurses to serve as effective policy advocates. When coupled with national engagement through ONS Capitol Hill Days, these initiatives highlight the transformative role of oncology nurses in shaping health policy, strengthening the profession, and ensuring equitable, patient-centered cancer care. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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