Congresswoman Lauren Underwood Receives Warm Welcome at Deans Annual Meeting

Attendees at AACN's Deans Annual Meeting gave a rousing standing ovation for Congresswoman Lauren Underwood as they welcomed her to a plenary session titled New Congress, New Focus: Perspectives from a Nursing Champion. Representative Underwood is a nurse representing Illinois' 14th Congressional District. She is the youngest African American woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, the first woman of color and millennial to represent her community, a proud supporter of the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act, and a former AACN intern.  In attendance for this March 26 session, moderated by Board Chair Ann Cary, were member deans and nursing students attending AACN's Student Policy Summit.

Rep. Underwood spoke on how nurses can influence health policy. She implored those in attendance to get involved. "We need more nurses in office. Period. We need more nurses to serve," she said. "We need to be engaged."