Leaders in health policy: a critical role for nursing.

Nurses are expert as clinicians, educators, researchers and administrators. Yet too often that expertise is not translated into the policy arena. This article discusses opportunities and examples of ways in which expert nurses can use their knowledge, their perspective, their experiences and their skills as communicators to change public policy at all levels of government. Issues in education, practice and research are examined through a nursing lens to explore the political dimensions of advocating for policies that are right for the public and our profession.