Video: UMass Nursing Students Advocate for Nursing Legislation at the State House
Juniors Maya Mawla and Mahad Shakil recap Advocacy Day 2025.
Content
A bus-load of students, faculty, and staff from the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing (EMCON) participated in the American Nurses Association Massachusetts "Advocacy in Action/ Lobby Day" at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, Mass. on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. They joined nurses from across the Commonwealth to learn about grassroots advocacy, meet with legislative leaders, and lobby state legislators to advance nursing improvements in the state.
Dean Allison Vorderstrasse said of the event,
"It's been a really energizing day to see students... get a first-hand view of what it means to advocate for their profession, for their colleagues, and how to do that effectively."
—Dean Allison Vorderstrasse
The ANA Mass legislative agenda focused on three bills:
- S1543/H2397: An act establishing a nursing workforce center.
- S1572/H766: An act relative to acute hospital and nursing home governance.
- S1482/H2442: An act protecting patients and health care workers from exposure to surgical smoke.
The day was organized by Olivia Frazier, executive director of strategic partnerships at the college.