The GR department also coordinates interviews with candidates seeking endorsement for statewide office and State Senate and Assembly positions. It works with the CNA PAC on endorsements and organizes CNA participation in campaigns. It should serve as a reminder that the scope of what we do, and the procedures employed at the facilities where we are employed are defined by the state legislature and enforced by regulatory agencies. Our professional lives are governed by that chaotic, sometimes ugly process known as California politics, where RNs continually confront lobbyists for the hospitals, the healthcare corporations and others, to shape what we do, how we do it, who benefits from it, and who pays for it. Registered Nurses have consistantly ranked among the most trusted professionals in public opinion polling.
Patients expect and see RNs as their advocates.
If someone is ill, or seeing a loved one suffering, they want an RN at their bedside. This translates into political power, if we are active. If we're doing things correctly we have a lot to say about who sits as governor, the makeup of the legislature and the composition of the various regulatory boards and commissions. When we do really well in politics, we not only keep what we have won through effective defensive fights, we also have a chance to make gains. Yes, the governor vetoed the latter, but that's why we need to be active in this year's governor's election.