Have You Said Thank You?

By Kathleen Rose, MHA-N, RN, NCSN-E, BS posted 05-20-2015 09:09

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Have You Said ‘Thank You’?

In my state, yesterday was the Election Day for special elections and one happened in my county. We voted for someone to take over an empty Council seat. It will be the expectation, especially of those that voted, that the winner will listen to us and represent us fairly. We expect the new member to look at the big picture, to do what is best for all of the residents of this county: those who can vote and those who cannot.

Recently, the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation that reauthorized the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for another for years. In my 4 years as a Director, the CHIP legislation is the first NASN legislative priority that has passed. We need to shout it from the rooftops!

Teaching children about their asthma, helping the parents to understand the importance of sending in medication - all help keep our students in school. BUT they are all based on the premise that there is a doctor to ORDER the meds. What an incredible, incredible difference CHIP has made in our students' lives! Many, many health departments don't even keep pediatricians on staff anymore. If CHIP failed, where would we send our students???

As I told my legislators,

“As a school nurse, I often helped parents apply for medical insurance for their children. I saw the results when that insurance was in place. Students with seizures had far fewer because they consistently received their seizure medication. Students with life-threatening allergies had access to lifesaving epinephrine. Students with asthma were in school, learning, because they could breathe easily. Thanks to the CHIP legislation, as a school nurse, I have an extra tool to empower my students to become healthy, productive adults.”

Not only should we be shouting our joy from the rooftops, but we should be thanking our legislators for their vote. Only 8 Senators voted against it and yes, one of them was from my state (I’m from Florida, enough said!) ALL my legislators received a thank you for voting. And the Senator who voted against it, he was also asked to reconsider his vote the next time it comes up for reauthorization.

Don’t give up on your legislators. Just keep reminding them that you do care and you are watching. Nurses have one of the highest voting percentages in the US, yet we are often the quietest about what we believe. As a school nurse for 30 years, I soon learned that I can’t use my work email to communicate with them, but once I am home, I am a private citizen and I can communicate with them using my private email.

If you haven’t said “Thank You”, it’s not too late to build a positive relationship with your legislator. Help them to see that caring for our youngest, our children, is everyone’s responsibility and should never be dependent upon a political party or their affiliation.

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