Strategies for Building Advocacy Skills Among Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Students.

Background: Nursing faculty are challenged to create learning experiences that both reflect the complexities of the current health care system and are relevant. Experiential learning opportunities should promote engagement in health care that extends beyond direct patient care to advocacy in larger systems.
Method: To meet this challenge, faculty developed course assignments for students at baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels in which students worked with state Action Coalitions to implement the Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing report's eight recommendations. With faculty guidance, student teams developed and implemented projects or conducted research to assist the coalitions in their grassroots initiatives.
Results: Students at all program levels reported high levels of satisfaction and engagement with these unique projects. Students reported understanding the importance of the Future of Nursing recommendations and intended to continue participating in statewide initiatives.
Conclusion: Experiential learning opportunities at all program levels can engage students in learning more about advocacy, health care trends, and leadership.
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