“Don’t Just Count Them, Hold Them Accountable,” is a letter to the editor that Dr. Brenna Morse and I wrote in response to “Nurse State Legislators, 2013 to 2023,” a Nursing Outlook article by Drs. Darlene Curley and Patricia Stone. Our letter emphasizes the importance of holding legislators accountable for advancing policies aligned with nursing principles rather than solely focusing on professional backgrounds.
We highlight concerns about nurse legislators supporting policies that contradict the central tenet of the American Academy of Nursing: creating healthy lives for all people. Our letter stresses the need to evaluate political candidates based on their dedication to inclusivity, evidence-based policymaking, health equity, and justice regardless of their vocation.
To access our article and delve deeper into these critical discussions, the publisher, Elsevier, has provided a Share Link for free access to the latest version on ScienceDirect. Click on this link to access “Do not just count them, hold them accountable,” before April 29, 2024. You can read or download the article without any sign-up, registration, or fees required.
We hope this article sparks meaningful conversations and actions toward promoting public health and upholding nursing principles in policymaking.
Thank you, Brenna, for inviting me to collaborate on this project. You are a brilliant nurse scientist, dedicated to standing up for issues that promote health equity, and social justice. Our letter to the editor is a call for nurses to use our collective voices to meet crucial moments head-on and not let them slip by, unanswered.
