Updated: This has been updated to refer to legislative changes in Nebraska and West Virginia. 

In December 2012, the National Governors Association (NGA) published The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care.  The report offers a positive perspective on nurse practitioners; both Nebraska and West Virginia entered its findings into testimony in their successful efforts to improve their states’ laws.

The report can be sent to your state’s governor to help educate her or him on the benefits of removing barriers to APRN practice and care. It is also a wonderful opportunity to introduce the governor to the state’s Action Coalition.

Below is a letter that you can tailor and send to your governor. Fill in the blanks, enclose the NGA report (see view button, to the right), and send it off! In addition, modifying the language to give it a personal touch can, of course, make it more effective. If someone in your Action Coalition or workgroup has a personal connection to the governor’s senior staff, ask him or her to send it–that would increase the likelihood of a key stakeholder’s being made aware of this important report.

(Remember: This letter is about what nurses can do for the state and what your Action Coalition can do for the governor, not the other way around. Ask not what your governor can do for you, but what you can do for your governor.)

Finally, follow up with the governor’s office after sending the letter. The best way to ensure it gets read is to follow through with a phone call.

In summary, here are the steps you should take:

1. Read the NGA report
2. Read the letter
3. Decide who should sign and send the letter
4. Fill in the blanks
5. Add a personal touch
6. Send the letter with the NGA report enclosed
7. Follow up with a phone call

We hope this helps.

Review the letter.