Politics carry a connotation that’s gotten worse in recent years, but that’s why it’s even more important for nurses to be a part of the decision-making process. As we continue lobbying on this podcast for activism and involvement, we brought on a guest that took that leap nearly 15 years ago. NC House Representative Gale Adcock, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, will explain why nurses are so effective in leadership roles and why this topic is so important in 2020.
Click the timestamps below to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
On This Episode:
If you listened to the podcast before, you already know how important we feel it is for CRNAs to get involved. Whether you’re joining your local organization or running for an elected position, being active in having a voice in our profession’s future is vital for continued growth for nurses everywhere.
A person that can speak to this as much as anyone is Gale Adcock, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN. She’s been involved for many years and her career includes time as the NCNA president, a member of the NC Board of Nursing, and a former national policy chair for the American College of Nurse Practitioners.
On top of that, she’s been serving 13 years total as an elected official, with the past six as a North Carolina House Representative. Before winning the state’s most competitive House race in 2014, Adcock served on the Cary, NC Town Council for seven years, including three years as Mayor Pro-Tem. She is the first (and so far only) APRN elected to the North Carolina General Assembly and is currently running for her 4th term. Although in the minority party since being elected, she has been a primary sponsor of more than a dozen bills that have become law.
We could go on about her career but we wanted to give the opportunity to tell you more about it as well as explain why she feels it’s so important for all CRNAs to be involved in some capacity. There’s a reason why Adcock believes that nurses need a seat at the table anytime a decision is being made, and listening to her talk will hopefully help you understand the importance as well.
The episode will cover a variety of topics related to serving and politics, including these:
- How you can get involved without serving in an elected position.
- How to build a relationship with your legislators.
- Why PACs are so important
- Why she ran for office the first time
- What can you be doing now to put yourself in position to run
- The good and bad times she’s experienced while serving.
Check it out the interview at the top of the page and use the timestamps to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
2:40 – Welcome in our guest, Rep. Gale Adcock. Some background on her
3:43 – Why this topic today is important
5:24 – Ways to get involved without running for office.
6:50 – Don’t be intimidated by your legislators
10:38 – Political Action Committees
19:30 – When she ran for Town Council
24:10 – What helped her win
28:13 – Why don’t more nurses run?
31:40 – What have you liked and disliked about serving?
36:44 – When people get to know you as a person, things change.
“The longer I’m in politics, the longer I’m in policy making, the more convinced I become that nurses are critical to be in all of the rooms where decisions are made.”
-NC House Representative Gale Adcock
