Boise State Nursing Graduates Take Idaho Advocacy to Capitol Hill
Two Boise State University nursing students set to graduate in May 2026 are finishing their academic careers having done something most nurses never attempt: meeting face-to-face with congressional staff to advocate for their profession on Capitol Hill. Hannya Ornelas and Grace Ellison, both senior nursing students in the Boise State School of Nursing, represented Idaho at a national student policy summit in Washington, D.C., this spring — gaining hands-on experience in legislative advocacy that few nursing students receive before earning their degrees.
Boise State Students Make Their Mark at National Summit
In early April, Ornelas and Ellison traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Student Policy Summit. The experience introduced them to the mechanics of federal advocacy — how professional nursing organizations frame data for legislators, how coalition-building across multiple groups amplifies impact, and how personal storytelling shapes policy conversations.
The trip also offered a small but meaningful moment of recognition for Boise State. When a fellow conference attendee spotted their university name badges and expressed surprise that the school was in attendance, Ellison noted the reaction was telling. “Usually people don’t even know where Idaho is,” she said. Ornelas called the recognition “pretty cool,” adding: “I was like, ‘Okay Boise State, get your name out there!'”
During the summit, the pair met with staff members representing Idaho’s congressional delegation to discuss challenges facing the nursing profession. Key issues included Title VIII funding for nursing education and a House bill that would create a tax credit for nurse preceptors — nurses who mentor students during clinical training — as a way to expand the pipeline of qualified nursing instructors. “They sat down, listened. They wanted to hear personal stories,” Ornelas said of the congressional staffers.
Ellison emphasized the potential power of a unified nursing voice in Washington. “There’s about five million nurses in the United States,” she said. “If we all came together and brought something to the United States government, that change could happen, because there’s so many of us.”
Advocacy Closer to Home: Idaho’s Simulation Center and JFAC Tour
The D.C. summit was not the students’ first exposure to policy advocacy. Last fall, Ornelas and Ellison — both research assistants in Boise State’s College of Health Sciences Simulation Center — participated in a tour of the facility hosted for members of the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. The November 2025 visit gave state lawmakers a direct look at how nursing students are trained and what resources the program requires.
The experience opened the students’ eyes to the gap between legislative knowledge and on-the-ground nursing realities. Basic facts — such as nurses routinely working 12-hour shifts — were not always familiar to lawmakers. “I think although they want to do the best thing for us, there is kind of a barrier for them knowing nursing in general,” Ornelas said.
That dynamic reinforced a core lesson both students took from their advocacy work: elected officials cannot be experts on every issue they vote on, which means subject-matter experts — nurses, nursing students, healthcare educators — have both the opportunity and the responsibility to inform the process. School of Nursing Divisional Dean Kelley Connor accompanied Ellison and Ornelas during meetings with staff of Idaho Senator Mike Crapo.
Personal Growth Alongside Professional Development
For both students, the path to advocacy was as much a personal journey as a professional one. Ellison, who grew up in Coeur d’Alene and described herself as “super shy” upon arriving at Boise State, found that stepping outside her comfort zone — through the Honors College, simulation research, and legislative engagement — transformed her confidence. She is set to begin her nursing career in the telemetry unit at St. Luke’s after graduation.
Ornelas, a Boise native who attended Borah High School, said she almost didn’t pursue college at all before discovering her commitment to healthcare and patient advocacy. Growing up in different parts of Idaho, she said, gave the two students a broader perspective when speaking with federal staff about statewide healthcare needs. “Being able to speak up and be the voice for others is very important,” she said.
When asked whether they would pursue policy involvement again, both said yes without hesitation. “It’s pretty easy,” Ellison said. “You can be engaged just by reaching out to your senator, your congress people, and telling your story.”
What Comes Next for Boise State Nursing
Ornelas and Ellison join a growing number of Boise State graduates entering Idaho’s healthcare workforce at a time when nursing shortages remain a concern statewide. Their experience in policy advocacy — at both the state and federal level — reflects a broader push by nursing programs to prepare graduates not just as clinicians but as informed participants in the decisions that shape their profession.
Boise State’s continued investment in its health sciences programs is part of a larger institutional growth plan. Readers interested in how Idaho’s educational institutions are expanding to meet workforce demand can also follow Boise State’s recently approved 10-year master plan and West Ada School District’s new Career Technical Education center in Meridian, both of which reflect regional efforts to build pipelines for high-demand careers across Ada County.