Inspiration for Activism Part II –

• I became interested in healthcare policy and politics, during my MSN studies, but it wasn’t until I was asked to serve as American Nurses Association- Maine’s legislative committee chair that I begin to recognize my true calling in this area. ANA-ME encouraged me to apply to be an American Nurse Advocacy Institute Fellow, and upon completion of that training, I felt better prepared to act and advocate for causes I believed in.
• I felt very drawn to the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) as I learned about the endocannabinoid system and medicinal use of cannabis. The more I understood about the human ECS, the more I felt called to serve at a higher level. I was appointed to be on the board and I started the education and research committee and eventually I ran for President. We are a non-profit 501c3, and we focus on educating and supporting nurses, as well as acting as advocated for patients and populations.
• I have been blessed to be able to also bring ACNA into the Nursing Organizations Alliance, where I have learned so much about what it takes to run a nursing organization. Anyone actively involved in working with nursing organizations should consider how this group can support your organization’s knowledge base.
• In my own personal work, I have focused on supporting oncology nurses’ understanding of medicinal use of cannabis. For the last 1.5 years I have traveled around the country working with oncology nurses to support their understanding of how they can best help their patients who want to use cannabis for palliation of symptoms. This article in this Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing also serves to support the knowledge base of nurses.  Also see my NurseManifest post on this topic!