ENA Emergency Nurses Association - Emergency Nurse 411 Program Criteria

Emergency Nurses 411 Program

What is a Key Contact?
A Key Contact is an ENA member who is the designated contact for a specific member of Congress, either a Senator or a Representative. Key Contacts have strong, positive relationships with their members of Congress and contact them as needed. You may already have this relationship or ENA's government relations staff can help you cultivate a personal working relationship with your members of Congress.

Why have a Key Contact Program?
ENA is establishing the Emergency Nurse 411 Program (EN411) to encourage our members to cultivate long term relationships with federal legislators, convey ENA's legislative and regulatory priorities - as approved by ENA's Board of Directors - in an effective manner, and affect the final outcome of federal legislation important to emergency nursing. Our goal is to have at least one ENA member in each of the 435 congressional districts across the country, as well as assigned to each of the 100 Senators, to help promote ENA's legislative agenda.

Key Contact Job Description

A Key Contact agrees to build and maintain a strong, positive relationship with their assigned member of Congress and contact them as requested.

A Key Contact is responsible for staying abreast of ENA's federal legislative priorities through such resources as ENA's Washington Update, Legislative Action Center, and E-mail Alerts.

A Key Contact is to build a personal relationship with his/her designated legislator by meeting at least twice a year, optimally with the legislator, to review ENA's legislative priority issues. The meetings could take place at any convenient venue, whether in state, or in district, or in Washington, D.C.

A Key Contact is to invite the designated legislator to his/her institution or to a State Council event to meet with colleagues to discuss local issues specific to emergency nursing and health care.

A Key Contact is to respond to requests for contact as indicated in legislative alerts. The action requested may consist of faxing a letter, coordinating a e-mail/letter writing campaign, a personal visit or calling a legislator.

A Key Contact is to promptly report back to ENA's government relations staff (via fax, e-mail or phone) on contacts made; report should include any legislator comments or requests on issues discussed.

Resources

Building Relationships with Your Legislators

Communicating with Your Legislator

Visiting Your Legislators including Template Appointment Letter

Guide to Legislative Staff Titles

The Do's and Don'ts in Government Relations

How a Bill Becomes Law

Glossary of Legislative Terms

Successful Site Visits and Other Events

ENA Government Relations Resources

~ Go to Online interactive application
~ Go to Downloadable Word application

QUESTIONS? enagov@aol.com or Call Kathi Ream, ENA's Washington Representative, at 703-241-3947