The contribution of nurses to health policy and advocacy requires leaders to provide training and mentorship.

Abstract

At this crucial stage in nursing's development, key organizations around the world are voicing the need for nurses to become more involved in leadership, advocacy and policymaking. The importance of leadership and health policy training cannot be overemphasized. However, the widespread education and training of nurses about policy is yet to be realized. Moving nurses from being the recipients and implementers of health policy decisions to being leaders with a strong voice in the development or reform of policy will take concerted, strategic effort into the future. We argue that for nurses around the world to take their place at decision-making tables and to be rightfully engaged in policy, health reform and advocacy, nurse leaders need to provide them with access to well-thought-out policy training programmes. This access needs to be wide-ranging, from exposure to policy knowledge in undergraduate education to more specialized graduate programs focused in every specialization on some aspects of policy, through to a variety of continuing educational opportunities.