M E M O
DATE: August 25, 2015
SUBJECT: CALL FOR NIWI APPLICANTS
The Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) Program is an annual event sponsored by the Nursing Organizations Alliance (The Alliance). With over 60 member organizations, ONS among them, The Alliance represents approximately 500,000 nurses. The Alliance sponsors the internship to promote the interests of its member groups through education, research, and health-policy activities. Over the years, more than one thousand nurses have attended NIWI, many of whom have become influential participants in the political process at state and federal levels.
The purpose of the NIWI Program is to provide nurses the opportunity to learn how to influence health care through legislative and regulatory processes. Participants learn from health policy experts and government officials and network with other nurses.
One of NIWI’s objectives is to prepare participants to be responsible nurse-citizens and to educate them about how they can affect legislative and regulatory processes. This is accomplished by an outstanding faculty, many of whom are nurses, who come from academia, research, government commissions, federal agencies, the administration, Capitol Hill, and various associations.
The next NIWI is scheduled to be held March 5-8, 2016 in Washington, DC. The internship includes spending a day on Capitol Hill visiting legislators. It is hoped that the dialogue begun during the internship will continue after the interns return home.
This year, ONS is offering a limited number of grants for nurses to attend NIWI. The deadline to apply for the grant is November 2, 2015. Recipients of the grants will receive full registration for NIWI, expenses for travel, hotel and related travel expenses (e.g. meals, airport parking) per ONS Travel Policy.
Call for NIWI Applicants
Page Two
Applicants must:
Ø Have current membership in ONS with two years minimum as a member
Ø Provide evidence of current activity in the legislative arena on the local, state, and/or national levels
Ø Describe all past ONS activities
Ø Describe how the internship experience will help his or her current professional role, and within ONS
Ø Be willing to serve as a chapter or SIG legislative liaison
Ø Demonstrate strong communication skills
Ø Demonstrate willingness to participate in NIWI by meeting the time requirements for preparation
A review panel will select the most qualified applicants. To apply, members should submit a letter stating that they are applying for a NIWI grant, including three copies of all accompanying information listed above, and current curriculum vitae to:
Health Policy Team
Oncology Nursing Society
125 Enterprise Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact ONS Health Policy Director, Alec Stone, at 1/866-257-4ONS x6401 or .