One of the reasons I am so happy to be CEO of the NLN is that I live in exciting New York City. But this job carries with it many opportunities for travel, and on May 17, I was in Washington, DC, with members of the NLN Board of Governors and our senior management staff. Our mission was to visit Capitol Hill and meet briefly with senators and members of Congress to help them understand and advocate for matters of vital importance to nursing education and the health of our nation.

Specifically, we broke into small teams to meet with individuals who represent the home districts of members of our board. We explained what is happening in nursing education today, how so many qualified applicants are being turned away from nursing education programs because of a growing shortage of faculty. And we urged support of at least $200 million in fiscal year 2008 to fund Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act). We especially urged Congress to restore the Advanced Education Nursing training program, which was eliminated in President Bush's proposed budget for FY 2008. Equally important, we initiated and reinforced working relationships with our Congressional members and their staffs.

You may recall that in March, I testified before Congress about these matters and explained why action is needed. (My testimony is online at www.nln.org/newsreleases/ceo_testimony_040207.htm.) But making our case for funding in this political climate is an arduous process, one experienced from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet. In other words, we used our minds, our voices, and our passion to engage our Congressional colleagues, but the journey through the various halls of Congress was also experienced in our feet. I am very grateful that the excellent briefing packet we received before setting out for our Day on the Hill recommended wearing comfortable shoes!

You can do your part by familiarizing yourself with the issues and contacting your own senators and representatives, stressing to them that funding for nursing education must be a matter of national priority. Emails are as effective as letters and phone calls. Our Government Affairs Action Center (online at www.nln.org/governmentaffairs/index.htm) is structured to help you become a powerful, well-informed advocate for our cause: promoting excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce.

I want to take this opportunity to tell you about another piece of legislation the NLN has endorsed. On May 17, just as we visited Capitol Hill, Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York, one of three nurses in Congress, reintroduced the Nurse Faculty Higher Education Act, H.R. 2384, which did not succeed in the last Congress. This act would provide scholarships to qualified nurses who are pursuing advanced degrees with the intention of becoming faculty members in accredited nursing programs. The act also proposes the establishment of a pilot project to provide grants to partnerships between accredited schools of nursing and hospitals and health facilities. With these grants, qualified nurse employees would be permitted to earn salaries while working part-time or on flexible schedules as they continue their education. Each nurse who completes the program will be required to teach two years for each year of support received. We endorsed this bill when it was first introduced, and we stand behind it 100 percent.

You and I know that it is as vital as ever to ensure that nurses exist in the future who are prepared and qualified to take care of all the people of our nation who will need their care. Together we must make sure that our representatives in Washington hear this message. Together we have the potential to make our voices heard and reap the benefits of standing in partnership with legislators who value the health of our country.