The Importance of Teaching Policy in Nursing

Why should nurses care about policy? 

Nurse anesthetist and policy expert Angela DiDonato, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, joins Marion and Rebecca to answer that question with stories from the front lines of nursing advocacy. She shares how frustration with Pennsylvania legislators inspired the Amplify Nursing podcast, how CRNAs won formal recognition in Pennsylvania after more than a decade of advocacy, and why understanding healthcare as an industry gives nurses a tool to change it.

Plus: why she calls compassion fatigue "crap," how a three-minute surgical huddle won over hospital finance, what she teaches her policy students at Penn, and why every nurse should submit a public comment on the CMS proposed payment rule before the September 14 deadline. Whether you have never touched policy or you are ready to lead, this episode shows you where to start.

Article: Why Every Nurse Should Care About Policy, From a CRNA Who Helped Change State Law

Jump Ahead:

• 0:58 - Welcome and guest introduction: Angela DiDonato
• 2:18 - The Amplify Nursing origin story: "Aren't you just the assistant?"
• 5:53 - Why policy feels boring, and how podcasts translate it for nurses
• 7:40 - The Pennsylvania CRNA designation fight: one of only two states without recognition
• 11:39 - Nursing reimbursement, AI billing codes, and the CMS public comment window (closes September 14)
• 15:04 - "Your voice matters": healthcare as an industry, and the surgical huddle story
• 20:24 - What Angela teaches her policy students at Penn
• 25:30 - Why you should get involved even if you never touch policy: you're a constituent
• 26:59 - Closing thoughts and how to start local

Guest links:

• Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA): https://www.pana.org/
• Connect with Angela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-didonato-a0929826/

Take action: Submit a public comment on the CMS proposed 2027 physician payment rule (file code CMS-1848-P) at regulations.gov before September 14.

Related reading on Nurse.org:

• Nurses Have Waited a Century for Billing Codes. AI May Get Them First: https://nurse.org/news/ai-billing-cmaa-cpt-codes-nursing-reimbursement/
• ANA Responds to Nurses' AI Billing Concerns: https://nurse.org/news/ana-statement-ai-billing-codes-cpt-medicare/
• Nursing Excluded as a Professional Degree by the Department of Education: https://nurse.org/news/nursing-excluded-as-professional-degree-dept-of-ed/

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