Commending the Nursing Advocacy Initiative.

Commending the Nursing Advocacy Initiative.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 2026
WHEREAS, the Nursing Advocacy Initiative, a nurse-led, nonpartisan, data-driven, professional advocacy program at the UVA Health University Medical Center, has helped to advance health care and nursing in the Commonwealth and throughout the country; and
WHEREAS, nurses in the Nursing Advocacy Initiative participate in an in-depth policy and advocacy training program, after which they are called nurse ambassadors in their advocacy roles; and
WHEREAS, the number of nurse ambassadors associated with the Nursing Advocacy Initiative has grown exponentially, enabling the group to engage with issues impacting health care throughout the year; and
WHEREAS, the Nursing Advocacy Initiative supports the mission of the UVA Health University Medical Center, a magnet-designated hospital that is in the top 10 percent of all hospitals in the nation for nursing excellence; and
WHEREAS, through its work with the Nursing Advocacy Initiative, the UVA Health University Medical Center has demonstrated a strong commitment to cultivating engaging work environments for nurses, encouraging nursing clinical excellence, and achieving positive patient outcomes; and
WHEREAS, as a hospital-based, professional nurse advocacy program, the Nursing Advocacy Initiative provides a unique and compelling example for other hospitals and health care organizations to follow; and
WHEREAS, the Nursing Advocacy Initiative's nurse ambassadors have advocated for legislation promoting maternal health, health care workforce development, and affordable health care; and
WHEREAS, by elevating the wisdom and expertise of professional nurses and empowering nurses to engage directly with legislators during the policymaking process, the Nursing Advocacy Initiative has inspired other nurses around the country to join the organization in health care advocacy for the benefit of their patients, their practice, and their profession; and
WHEREAS, the Nursing Advocacy Initiative continues to recruit and train exemplary nurse ambassadors to inspire hope and transform health care in the Commonwealth and beyond; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Nursing Advocacy Initiative hereby be commended for its legacy of service in the pursuit of its mission; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Nursing Advocacy Initiative as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the organization's contributions to health care and nursing in the Commonwealth.