Future Nurse Leaders Acquire Critical Advocacy Skills to Shape Health Care Policy
Top Image: DNP students Austin Brook, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, (far l) and Sarah Slater, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, (third from l) were joined on the Hill by (from r) Georgetown Nurse Executive in Residence Bradley Goettl, DNP, DHA, RN, FNP-C, FAAN, chief nursing officer for the American Nurses Enterprise; Evelyn Addo-Wallace (G’23), DNP, MPH, WHNP-BC, assistant director of DNP scholarly projects and the DNP program; and Stephan Davis, DNP, MHSA, NEA-BC, CENP, CPHQ, CNE, FACHE, FAAN, executive director of leadership, policy, and DNP education.
(August 5, 2025) — When nurse leaders pursue the Executive Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Health Systems Leadership and Policy at Georgetown University’s Berkley School of Nursing, they gain advanced leadership expertise, emerging as empowered advocates equipped with the skills to drive innovation and lead meaningful change in health care.
Located just steps from the U.S. Capitol, the school’s Capitol Campus in downtown Washington, D.C., serves as a teaching laboratory for advocacy training for real-world application and provides a powerful setting for executive DNP students to take a deep dive into policy advocacy.
(from l) Austin Brook (G’26), MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, and Sarah Slater (G’26), MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
In June, two executive DNP students, Austin Brook (G’26), MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, and Sarah Slater (G’26), MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, and four DNP program faculty members participated in the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Advocacy Academy, a program that educates nurse leaders on the legislative process and teaches them skills to build relationships with policymakers.
“This experience had a profound impact on my future career as a health care leader,” Brook said. “I connected the dots between the challenges I study and the structures that can drive meaningful change. It deepened my understanding of how nurse leaders can influence upstream decisions that ultimately affect patient care, workforce sustainability, health equity and so much more.”
Slater said that participating in the AONL Advocacy Academy affirmed her passion for leadership and helped shape how she envisions her future as a nurse practitioner with doctoral preparation.
“To say I caught the advocacy bug would be an understatement!” Slater said. “My experience was truly transformative. From the engaging presentations to the impactful meetings with members of Congress, I gained invaluable insight into the legislative process and the critical role nurse leaders play in shaping health care policy.”
As part of their training during the AONL Advocacy Academy, Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, a Georgetown’s Nurse Executive in Residence and president of the AONL, led a discussion about how policy platforms are developed.
“Situated at the oldest university in the nation’s capital, at the epicenter of policy-shaping and legislative action, we continue to leverage our unique positioning to create unparalleled educational experiences for Georgetown students and as a national leader in nurse executive education,” said Stephan Davis, DNP, MHSA, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE, ANEF, FAAN, executive director of leadership, policy and DNP education at the Berkley School of Nursing.
In the summer of 2026, all of the new executive DNP students will take part in the AONL Advocacy Academy.