AUGUST 1984, VOL 40, NO 2

L egkla tion

AORN JOURN A L -

Learn as a campaign volunteer

Now is your chance to get involved in poli- tics. Fall campaigns are swinging into high gear, and there are many opportunities for novices. If you would like to see how the electoral process works from the inside, volunteer to help a candi- date.

You don’t need to start with a big operation, such as campaigns for the presidency or US Congress. In fact, it’s probably better if you don’t. You will be more visible in a small cam- paign, and you may be assigned to more interest- ing work.

Consider working for a candidate for your state legislature or county commission. Look at candidates for other state offices, such as secre- tary of state and attorney general. Perhaps you could help a contender for the board of a college or university you are interested in.

How do you choose a candidate? First, deter- mine your state legislative districts (House and Senate). It is most effective to work for a candi- date who will be representing you.

Who is running for these offices? Your city or county election commission can tell you. The number is in the phone book under government offices.

If you are a party member, the decision about whom to support may be easy. If you follow the news, you may have spotted a candidate you admire. Otherwise, call the legislative lobbyist at your state nurse’s association. Ask if your incumbent representative and senator have been friendly to nursing. Ask if the association’s polit- ical action committee has evaluated the candi- dates. A voting record on health issues may be

available for you to examine. What do you do after you have made your

choice? Call the campaign office and volunteer. If directory assistance does not have the number, call the county or state party headquarters and ask how to contact the candidate.

Then call and volunteer. Activities depend on your interest, time, and experience. Some typi- cal tasks include

0 canvassing your precinct: door to door you offer information about your candidate and enlist support.

0 telephoning: to seek volunteers, invite people to fund-raising events, and remind them to vote.

leafletting: door to door you distribute campaign literature. This is usually done just before the election.

0 sponsoring a coffee: you hold a neighbor- hood gathering and invite the candidate to meet a group of interested voters. This works best in small campaigns.

0 staffing the campaign office: you are avail- able during certain hours for whatever needs to be done.

With more experience, you might be asked to help write campaign literature and plan cam- paign events.

Sound exhausting? It is, but it’s also gratify- ing. You will meet stimulating people and learn about the issues. Later, if your candidate is elected, you will have his or her ear about issues important to you.

Each time you volunteer, make sure the man- agers know you are a registered nurse. It is one of

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the most important things you can do for your profession.

0 Charging that the state of IIllnois discrim- inates against women, the American Nurses’ Association (ANA) and Illinois Nurses’ Associa- tion have sued in federal district court. They first had taken the case to the federal Equal Employ- ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (see Legislative column in May Journal).

The nurses’ groups allege the state’s classifi- cation and pay structure illegally discriminate against women in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They are seeking back pay and increased .wages for the female employees in- volved. The suit is similar to one recently won against the state of Washington.

A study by the state of Illinois, released in June 1983, reveals the state pays substantially less for predominantly female jobs than for pre- dominantly male jobs, ANA said, although the female jobs require equal or greater how-how, problem solving, and accountability.

Predominantly female jobs, such as those held by RNs, LPNs, and mental health technicians who c m for the mentally ill andor mentally retarded, earn an average of $6,500 to $8,600 less annually than predominantly male jobs, such as those held by electricians, auto mechan- ics, and highway maintenance workers.

The lawsuit charges that state officials have been awm of these discriminatory pay differ- ences, but have done nothing to rectify them.

0 ANA’s new legislative director is no stranger to AORN. Hazel Johnson-Brown, RN, PhD, has been an AORN member and served on the National Committee on Education in the mid-1960s. She assumes the ANA post on Sept 1, where her official title will be director, Divi- sion of Govenunental Affairs.

Johnson-Brown was chief of the Army Nurse Corps and held the rank of brigadier general. She was the first black woman general in the US armed services. When she retired from the Army in August 1983, President Reagan presented her with the Distinguished Service Medal.

The citation accompanying the medal credited

her with laying foundations that revolutionized the professional education and development of Army Nurse Corps officers. She was also cited for fostering the sharing of nursing knowledge between active and reserve services, according to the June issue of American Nurse.

Johnson-Brown is a BSN graduate of Vil- lanova University in Pennsylvania. She received a master’s degree in nursing education from Teachers College Columbia University, New York City, and a PhD in administration from Catholic University, Washington, DC.

0 US House and Senate committees in M a y voted on funding bills for the Nursing Training Act. Both panels increased the amounts that had been pposed in the original bills.

In the Senate, Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the bill’s sponsor, had called for $54.4 million. Due largely to the efforts of Sen Edward Kennedy (D-Mass), the amount was raised to $68.5 mil- lion, the American Nurses’ Association (ANA) reported.

The House went somewhat higher, with a hike to $76 million from the $63 million set forth in the bill. ANA gives much of the credit for the increases to Rep Henry Waxman (D-Calif), health subcommittee chairman, with credit also to Rep James Florio (D-NJ) and Rep Matthew

From committee, the bills go to the floor of both houses for a vote, and then to a conference committee to resolve differences between the two versions. The House bill number is HR 5602; in the Senate the bill is S 2574.

PATRICIA PATTERSON hGISLATIVE COLUMNIST

Rinaldo (R-NJ).

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