NANN Advocates for Neonatal Nurse Like You
NANN is dedicated to advocating at the local, state, and federal level for optimized care and positive outcomes for neonates and their families—and for the neonatal nurses who care for them.
NANN also impacts nursing practice regulation and policy by fostering member engagement and collaboration with other healthcare-related groups to shape legislative and regulatory issues at the federal and state levels.
Every day, people have experiences that are frustrating, unbelievable, or so outrageous that they think, "How can this be? There ought to be a law!" Nurses often experience this frustration in their day-to-day practice—fighting with managed care, facing inadequate reimbursement, and struggling with insufficient staffing or unsafe working conditions.
Also every day, federal and state legislators make decisions that affect NICU nursing and our patients, often with limited knowledge or understanding of the issues and with little or no input from neonatal nurses.
We can’t afford to let this happen. We must contribute our authority, leadership, and unique knowledge of neonatal nursing to the legislative process—or we will suffer the consequences.
NANN's Advocacy Agenda
Through the leadership of NANN's Health Policy and Advocacy Committee, NANN seeks to optimize care and health outcomes for neonates and their families.
On behalf of NANN, the Committee pursues and promotes NANN’s legislative agenda by monitoring and responding to legislation, governmental regulations, and administrative actions that affect neonatal nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners, and the patients and families they serve. The Committee also encourages and assists NANN members to become involved in grassroots legislative activities in pursuit of common goals.
Neonatal care and neonatal nursing advocacy priorities include:
- Disparities within Neonatal Care
- Mental Health of NICU Families
- Mental Health of Neonatal Nurses
- Nursing Workforce Development and, Recruitment
- Environmental Justice and Climate Impacts on Neonates
- Paid Family Leave
- Nutrition and Direct Provision of Human Milk
- Disparities within Race and Access to Human Milk
Download NANN's Complete advocacy agenda.
Past Legislative Issues
Get Involved
Join the MyNANN Advocacy Community to share information and insights with like-minded members.
Resources
NANN provides a federal health policy and advocacy toolkit and a state-level advocacy toolkit and other resources to educate members and help them participate in the policy arena.
Toolkits
- Federal Health Policy & Advocacy Toolkit (introduction)
- State Health Policy & Advocacy Toolkit
- Legislative Advocacy 101
NANN also partners with other organizations to provide NANN members with the most current and relevant information. Partners and alliances include:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Fetus and Newborn
- National Coalition for Infant Health
- National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)
- National Perinatal Association
- The Nursing Community Coalition
- 1,000 Days
Want to read more about legislative and policy issues affecting nursing and neonates and children? Stay current with helpful links: