Dean Eileen Fry-Bowers and Nursing Students Take Over Capitol Hill

The AACN Student Policy Summit is a two-day conference designed for baccalaureate and graduate nursing students. Participants engage in didactic sessions focused on the federal policy process and the role of nursing in professional advocacy.

Over 60 undergraduate and graduate students from the USF School of Nursing and Health Professions applied for the highly competitive opportunity to attend the AACN Policy Summit with Dean Fry-Bowers. Ultimately, five outstanding nursing students were selected to represent our institution at this year's Summit. This year, we were particularly fortunate to have Sapna Bakshi, DNP PMHNP, who is also an AACN Jonas Scholar, at the Summit.

Dean Fry-Bowers is deeply committed to ensuring that USF nursing students and graduates have the knowledge and tools necessary to advocate for health and healthcare. Her dedication is truly inspiring and sets a high standard for all of us.

Students prepare for the Summit through rigorous research, presenting cases at the conference, and, most importantly, developing a comprehensive nursing advocacy plan. This plan is not merely a formality but a crucial tool that translates our learning into meaningful action.

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“I attended the AACN Student Policy Summit in Washington D.C. with the USF School of Nursing and Health Professions' Dean Eileen Fry-Bowers and five other nursing students. I am truly honored and appreciative to have been chosen among a large application pool to attend this informative and inspiring Policy Summit! I heard from incredible nurses, nursing organization representatives, and government officials about the importance of becoming a strong advocate through civic engagement, the power of the nursing voice, and the need for nurses to have a 'seat at the table.' I also had the opportunity to pitch to congress staffers about the need for greater funding for nursing education and nursing workforce development programs, addressing nursing shortages across the country, improving the health of the nation (especially for rural and underserved communities - shout out migrant farmworkers), and advancing the goals of the nursing community through the bipartisan Nursing Caucus. Let's continue the good work and advocate for the #1 most admired profession in the U.S. - nursing, and to ensure that all people have access to equitable and quality healthcare services,” shared Isabella (Izzy) Shahmirza, MPH, Masters Entry MSN/CNL student, and president of the Graduate Nursing Association.

To learn more, visit William Sousa's “Shaping the Future of Nursing” portfolio, and click here to check the brochure, infographic, letter inviting legislators to support nursing education and the profession, and a thank you letter sent to Senator Padilla, Congressman Mullin, and Congresswoman Pelosi.