The Midterms are Coming! The Midterms are Coming!
If Paul Revere were riding today, this might well be his rallying cry. The midterms provide Americans the opportunity to exercise one of their most important civic duties — the right and privilege and duty to vote.
As a nation, we elect our government representatives, something many in the world envy. But a recent survey found that only 25% of eligible voters are planning to vote in the November 2022 elections. Why is that? There are certainly enough issues before us.
Healthcare coverage, healthcare reform, women’s reproductive choices, education priorities, economic stresses, mental health, gun violence-just to name a few. Three million nurses in the USA know of these issues and understand the impact of the decisions that will be made in the future. We can exercise our right to vote and make a difference. Anyone in healthcare can bring an educated opinion to the ballot. Why wouldn’t individuals want to weigh in?
We aren’t advocating for specific positions, parties, or people at this time. We do believe that it is our civic responsibility to vote, and we ask you all to do that. What will it take to encourage colleagues to go to the polls? Let’s start by asking individuals what they need in order to cast their vote. Perhaps we can help.
Bottom line-PLEASE VOTE
“Paul Revere’s ride is perhaps the most famous historical example of a word-of-mouth epidemic. A piece of extraordinary news traveled a long distance in a very short time, mobilizing an entire region to arms. Not all word-of-mouth epidemics are this sensational, of course. But it is safe to say that word of mouth is-even in this age of mass communications and multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns-still the most important form of human communication.” — Malcolm Gladwell
About the Authors
Pam Thompson MS, RN, FAAN is the CEO Emeritus of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, formerly AONE. During the same time, 2000–2016, she was the Senior VP of Nursing for the American Hospital Association. After retiring in 2017, she now serves as a healthcare consultant and volunteer board member and trustee for several healthcare entities.
Marla Weston PhD, RN, FAAN is the past CEO of the American Nurses Association Enterprise which included the American Nurses Association, American Nurses Credentialing Center and American Nurses Foundation, serving from 2009 to 2018. She now is a consultant and facilitator in leadership development, well-being, organizational strategy and growth, and future trends.
