Nurses are powerful agents of change, especially with issues related to family — yet many of us hesitate when it comes to influencing policy. Colleagues from the International Family Nursing Association (IFNA) Research Collaboration Subcommittee (ad hoc Committee on Policy) who share a passion for family-focused research, education, and practice, developed a Policy Toolkit for Nurses: a practical, step-by-step guide to help nurses new to policy understand where to start and how to make an impact.
The goal was simple — to demystify the policy process and show that policy change is not reserved for senior leaders or politicians nor is it reserved for change only at a governmental level. Every nurse, in every setting, can influence the systems that shape family health. Whether it’s improving visiting practices in a hospital, advocating for community-based family support, or embedding family nursing principles into national health priorities, nurses can lead change from the bedside to the boardroom.
The policy toolkit brings the policy cycle to life through a real-world family nursing example, illustrating how family-centred perspectives can be integrated into policy actions. It offers practical strategies, reflective questions, and templates that guide nurses in identifying issues, engaging stakeholders, and developing policy briefs grounded in everyday clinical realities.
We see this as more than a guide — it’s an invitation to nurses to view policy not as an abstract process, but as an extension of their advocacy for families.
If you’re a nurse ready to take the next step from caring for families to shaping the systems that care for them, this toolkit is for you.
Suggested citation:
North, N., Brysiewicz, P., Danford, C. A. & IFNA Research Collaboration Subcommittee: Policy Cluster. 2026. International Family Nursing Association Policy Toolkit. International Family Nursing Association.
