Two Boise State University senior nursing students traveled to the nation’s capital in April 2025 to advocate for healthcare workforce policies, representing Idaho at a national conference focused on nursing education and legislative issues.
Hannya Ornelas and Grace Ellison, both set to graduate in May 2026, attended the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Student Policy Summit in Washington D.C., where they met with congressional staff from Idaho’s delegation to discuss challenges facing the nursing profession.
Meeting with Idaho’s Congressional Delegation
During their time in Washington, the students held discussions with staff members from Idaho’s congressional offices about federal support for nursing education. Their conversations centered on Title VIII funding, which supports nursing education programs nationwide, and House Bill 392, legislation that would create tax incentives for experienced nurses who mentor nursing students in clinical settings.
Ornelas described the meetings as surprisingly accessible. Staff members were receptive and interested in hearing personal accounts from students currently in nursing programs, she said.
The students work as research assistants in Boise State’s Simulation Center, where they gain hands-on training in clinical scenarios. Their different geographic backgrounds — Ornelas from Boise and Ellison from Coeur d’Alene — allowed them to present perspectives from across Idaho during their advocacy efforts.
Learning the Legislative Process
The conference provided training on how nursing organizations work within the legislative system. Students learned about the role of fiscal data in policy discussions and observed how multiple professional nursing groups coordinate their advocacy efforts rather than working independently.
Ellison noted that with approximately five million nurses nationwide, collective action by the profession carries significant weight with federal lawmakers. The conference emphasized that unified advocacy from such a large professional workforce can influence policy decisions.
Experience with Idaho Legislators
The Washington trip was not the students’ first encounter with policymakers. Last November, Ornelas and Ellison participated in a tour of the College of Health Sciences Simulation Center hosted for members of Idaho’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
That experience revealed gaps in legislators’ understanding of nursing work conditions. Basic facts about the profession, such as standard 12-hour shifts, were not widely known among committee members, Ornelas observed.
The students concluded that effective advocacy requires content experts — practicing nurses and students — to educate legislators who cannot be expected to have detailed knowledge of every field they oversee.
Impact on Ada County Healthcare
Both students are preparing to enter Idaho’s healthcare workforce after graduation. Their advocacy work focused on policies that would strengthen nursing education and clinical training programs, which directly affect the pipeline of new nurses entering hospitals and clinics across Ada County and the Treasure Valley.
Federal Title VIII funding supports nursing programs at institutions like Boise State, helping train the next generation of healthcare workers for St. Luke’s Health System, Saint Alphonsus Health System, and other regional medical facilities that serve Ada County residents.
The proposed tax credit for nurse preceptors aims to address a shortage of clinical mentors by providing financial incentives for experienced nurses to supervise students during their required clinical rotations at local hospitals.
What Comes Next
Both students indicated they plan to continue advocacy work after entering the nursing profession. Ornelas said she values using her voice to drive change, while Ellison emphasized that engaging with elected officials is straightforward — constituents can contact their senators and representatives to share their experiences and concerns.
Boise State’s School of Nursing, led by Divisional Dean Kelley Connor, continues to prepare students for both clinical practice and professional advocacy roles within Idaho’s healthcare system.