Running head: MARYLAND NURSE LOBBY NIGHT FIELD EXPERIENCE

Maryland Nurse Lobby Night Field Experience

Angela Long
Coppin State University
Health Systems Policy, Organizations and Financing
Nurs 505
Dr. Nayna Philipsen, JD, PhD, RN
February 21, 2013

MARYLAND NURSE LOBBY NIGHT FIELD EXPERIENCE

Maryland Nurse Lobby Night Field Experience

I attended the Maryland Nursing Associations Lobby night in Annapolis on February 18,
2013 at 3:30 to 7:30 starting at the Calvert House and included visits to senators and
representatives from your districts. My visits were to Senator Norman Stone Jr, Delegate Joseph
Minnick, Delegate John Olszewski and Delegate Michael Weir. Some of the visits were with
their staff members.
The MNA called for all nurses to come out and lobby local and state legislators to and
support two bills that are important to nurses across Maryland. The first bill was Health Bill
1185 which is an enhancement to current law stating that assault on a healthcare worker would
go from a $2500 to $5000 penalty. The second bill was Health Bill 581 which would make
hospitals mandatory to implement a palliative care program. The president of MNA spoke to the
importance of both of these bills.
Lobbyist Robin Elliott spoke to the fact that when a nurse speaks people listen and nurses
are credible. She made sure that we were clear on the bills and that bills dont get passed unless
the people continue to pursued the senator and delegates that these issues are important to their
people. Ask what the legislator is working on, whats important to him or her?
Delegate Geraldine Valentine-Smith from Prince George County who is a RN, JD and
former lobbyist spoke to the importance of holistic care and to the fact that many of groups were
present tonight. She stressed that we had to be vocal in order to be heard and to be remembered.
She spoke to the fact that states attorneys need to take violence on healthcare workers more
seriously. That violence against healthcare workers is a big problem for nurses. Bills need to
make it out of committee to make it to the senate floor. That best form of government may not be
the prettiest.
Delegate Addie Eckert who is from the eastern shore speak passionately that nurses have
a right to be here tonight, that we have a voice. She clearly spoke about being active in

MARYLAND NURSE LOBBY NIGHT FIELD EXPERIENCE

government or it doesnt work as well as it should. Each session of congress only last 90 days
and they hear up to 2500 bills. Delegate Eckert sits on the Health subcommittee and is an
advocate for healthcare reform. She feels we need more community based healthcare for the
future; we have conflicting standards of care, payments and deliver of care. Some of the issues
that are important to her are decreasing violence in community by funding bonding and
attachment of the family in homes, community mental health underfunded behavior integration
such as mental health and substance abuse.
Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pullam spoke to health disparities subcommittee and healthcare
reform. She states that on a small number of health bills passed last year. One important bill the
governor approved was to grant $16 million dollars is healthcare for CVA, asthma, and diabetes
over the next four years to ST. Marys county, Baltimore city, Prince George County, Anne
Arundel County and Wicomico County.
Even though this was my first time going to this event and I was nervous, I was scared to
speak and spent most of my time listening, I learned a lot.