Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to learn how to engage policymakers who are involved in a huge range of topics. Therefore, you must present health policy issues to policymakers in a way that enhances their understanding of how policies are impacting people and communities.
Description: Providing policymaking bodies with testimony is one way for nursing leaders to effectively influence health policy. Presenting testimony is not formulaic; however, we need to evaluate your presentations and thus have developed criteria to guide you. You will need to explain the issue briefly and powerfully in easy-to-understand language. Your recommendation(s) must be highly specific—building your case with both evidence and poignant narrative for what you want the policymaker to do specifically. If there is strong stakeholder opposition, you must address this, inoculate against it, and anticipate questions. We hope to be “wowed” and thoroughly convinced that your recommendation must be pursued. This presentation must be precise and concise without getting lost in too much detail or jargon. For examples of strong written testimony, you may want to look at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website: 2020-Senate-LHHS-ED-Written-Testimony-for-the-Record.pdf (aacnnursing.org)
