Hello from the Southwest Region! We are starting to engage more as a group, but more is needed. As we all know it is election season and that means we are seeing more adversity and sometimes chaos within the political realm, yet what remains constant is that we must continue to reach out to our legislators and ask for their help with the many important challenges faced in nursing. Nursing does not follow a political season, we are constantly working for healthier communities 24 hours a day 7 days a week. As this new quarter starts at my job as a nurse educator, I am hoping to have more time to dedicate to making visits to our 5 counties starting with Hendry and Glades counties, I am choosing to do that because from discussions with my fellow members who are in these areas they are experiencing more disparities and challenges due to their small size and very limited resources. Doing this will help me to formulate tactful and meaningful conversations with the legislators of those counties. While I understand how limited resources are everywhere in healthcare, there needs to be a more efficient and equitable manner of distributing these resources. I also want to go to these counties and look for myself at how life is in these counties. When I was in the BSN program the windshield survey project I did forever changed how I look at communities. Looking at different communities wherever I am helps me to understand where the shortcomings are. In our own state we have many different challenges based on the unique needs of our individual communities, yet some things are central to nursing everywhere. I am calling on my fellow region members and all nurses within the state to look around your community and see what it needs and ask yourself “How can I make things better?”. Our jobs/careers as nurses do not stop where we work, it continues daily wherever we are, and this means getting involved to help make change happen. Whether the change is a big one or a small one it shows your dedication to our profession and the communities we serve. Our legislators need to see and hear from us on a regular basis, so they don’t forget why we are “here” and why we do what we do. My goal remains to try and partner with our community leaders so they can recognize and honor the value nurses have to ensure a thriving community. So please consider if you have not already done so, spread the word to your co-workers about the FNA and what we do and how we are there for them and ask them to consider joining, speak to your local legislative representatives about the issues we face but do it in a way where you can make a human connection with them so they can try to empathize what it would feel like to need a nurse when one is not available for the many reasons we continue to experience. In solidarity, please stay safe and know that you matter and the work you do matters.

-Charene