Dr. Connie Perkins, founding director of Nursing at St. Bonaventure University, and Angelina Padilla, a second-year student in the Master’s Entry to Practice program, spent two days in Washington, D.C., advocating for nurses.

On Sunday, Padilla attended the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Student Policy Summit for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. The students were immersed in didactic program sessions focused on the federal policy process and nursing’s role in professional advocacy. 

At the same time, Perkins attended the annual AACN Deans Meeting, which allows nursing school leaders from across the country to discover the latest data, innovations, and strategies on issues of interest in the policy, leadership, higher education, and workforce arenas.

On Monday on Capitol Hill, Padilla and Perkins advocated on behalf of the AACN for investing in Title VIII funding, retaining the National Institute of Nursing Research and PRECEPT Nurses Act, and gaining more members for the Congressional Nursing Caucus.

“This opportunity impacted not only Angelina, but knowing St. Bonaventure was at the table impacts our community,” said Perkins, president of the American Nurses Association-New York. “I was proud to be there and even more proud of watching her share her story.”

Padilla said she had “the most amazing time getting to connect with so many incredible nurse leaders and uniting to advocate for meaningful change.”

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).