One of the most critical tasks of community health nurses is participation in the political life of society and influence on political circles through advocacy. Nurses have always defended the interests of their patients; however, providing such protection is not always an easy task. To provide more qualified assistance, community health nurses have to develop the basic principles of advocacy.
These ideas can be identified in several basic principles that resonate with the so-called “ten commandments of lobbying.” Firstly, this is the principle of legality and compliance with all political norms and rules. While political science students inquire about political theories in detail, nursing students rarely investigate them. Therefore, for effective promotion, nurses should receive education and knowledge on this topic.
Another fundamental principle of advocacy is honesty and strict adherence to one’s word. Also, the speech of any lawyer should be clear and straightforward, so community health nurses should practice oratory. Finally, one of the main principles of advocacy is an objective analysis of all possible opponents and allies. It must be remembered that in politics, all interests, whatever they may be, are temporary and can change at any second.
Therefore, it is crucial to take a cautious approach to the choice of supporters but not to be afraid of using the power of a group of people. According to Taylor, there are 3 million registered nurses in the United States, and working together, they can reform the national healthcare system. Following these principles can provide nurses with success in influencing political structures.