How to Talk Like an Advocate

Tips on How to Speak Like a Pro with Legislative Reps

Advice about calling representatives shared by someone who used to answer calls in a senator's office. 

  1. Give your name, city, and zip code, and say “I don’t need a response.” The office can quickly confirm you are a constituent, and tally you down without taking the time to input you into a response database. 
  2. Call ONLY your own representatives. Your tally will not be marked down unless you can rattle off a city and zip from the state, or are calling from an in-state area code. You may really want to give Mitch McConnell a piece of your mind, but your call will be ignored unless you can provide a zip from Kentucky. And don’t try to make this up. You can be identified by the phone on the caller ID.
  3. State the issue, state your position. For example: “I am opposed to a ban on Muslims entering the US," “I am in favor of stricter gun control legislation including background checks,” or “I am in favor of the Affordable Care Act.” That’s it. That’s all that is written down to tally who is in favor and who is against. It doesn’t matter WHY you hold that opinion. The more calls, the less detail is written down. Help by being simple and direct.
  4. Please be nice! The people answering the phones on Capitol Hill already have the hardest job in DC and some of the lowest pay as well. For a month now, their jobs have become absolute murder with nonstop calls for 9 hours every day. Thank them for their hard work answering the phones because, without them, our Senators could not represent us.

What does this sound like?

“Hi, my name is Mark, I’m a constituent from Seattle, zip code 98***, I don’t need a response. I am opposed to any ban on Muslims entering the United States and I encourage the Senator to please oppose implementation of any such ban. Thanks for your hard work answering the phones!”

This is how every caller should phrase their message. It makes it easier for the people answering the phones and takes less time and emotion than a long script. You may want to say why, but keeping it short and sweet helps the office answer more calls per hour, meaning more people get heard. The bigger the tally, the more powerful our voice.

Also, when you’re reading off the same script as 100 other callers that day… well…they can tell. Pick one issue each day, use this format (I am in favor of _____ or I oppose ______), and call your 2 Senators and 1 Representative on their DC and State Office lines, and you’ll be on your way to being heard.” – Dr. Doris Ravotas, Fulbright Specialist Master Faculty Specialist College of Health and Human Services Western Michigan University.

List Your Credentials

Whether writing to legislators, colleagues, or other professionals, it is important to use credentials that are consistent with professional standards. The following order of credentials is recommended by the American Nurses Association (ANA): Highest earned degree, mandated requirements (i.e. licensure), state designations or requirements, national certifications, awards and honors, other certifications. Get more detail from ANA.

NASN Definition of School Nursing

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has issued this definition of school nursing: School nursing, a specialized practice of nursing, protects and promotes student health, facilitates optimal development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, are the leaders who bridge health care and education, provide care coordination, advocate for quality student-centered care, and collaborate to design systems that allow individuals and communities to develop their full potential.

Adopted by the NASN Board of Directors February 2017.

AAP Policy Statement

The American Academy of Pediatrics states in its policy statement that “School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success, and lifelong achievement and health of students.”

View the full Policy Statement.