Original Research

Exploring the political astuteness of registered nurses

  • Sandra Rogers 1
  • Theresa A. Gaffney 2
  • 1. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
  • 2. Malek School of Health Professions, Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia, United States
Abstract:

Registered nurses (RNs) play critical roles in advocating for policies that impact patients and the profession, yet nursing’s voice is largely silent when it comes to shaping health policy. Despite efforts to increase nurses’ voice in health policy, the extent to which nursing expertise shapes health policy remains relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine levels of political astuteness among registered nurses.  A cross-sectional study of RNs (n = 212) was conducted using the Political Astuteness Inventory. Nurses in the sample voted (91%) at a higher rate than the general public (66.8%) in the 2020 federal election; however, levels of political activity beyond voting were minimal. Age and education were positively associated with political activity. Findings of this study indicate positive movement by nurses toward increased levels of political engagement, yet there is room for improvement in shaping health policy.

  • Keywords:
  • Cross-sectional studies; Humans; Nurses; Politics health policy
DOI: 10.5430/jnep.v15n4p19
  • How to cite this article: Sandra Rogers, Theresa A. Gaffney. Exploring the political astuteness of registered nurses. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice. 2025;15(4):19-24.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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