Texas nurses advocate for policies at Nurse Day at the Capitol event

AUSTIN, Texas - Hundreds of Texas nurses are hoping to make their voices heard on the biggest current issues in the state's health policy.

What is Nurse Day at the Capitol?

The backstory:

The Texas Nurses Association says Nurse Day at the Capitol is when nurses of all backgrounds come together to advocate for polices that battery their profession.

The "event allows nurses to hear more about nursing issues, identify opportunities to influence healthcare policy, and develop a personal advocacy message."

Timeline:

On the first day, nurses will be on site at the Downright Austin to learn about current health policy and legislative goals and hear from prominent voices in nursing and public health.

The event will include an overview of the current public health landscape in Texas, the nurse's role in health policy, the nursing legislative agenda and a legislative panel.

This will be followed by visits with individual legislators.

Tomorrow (March 4) is the march at the Texas State Capitol.

By the numbers:

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the number of nurses in Texas is still low in comparison to the national average.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that an additional 275,000 nurses will be needed this decade.

Issues such as an aging workforce, nurse burnout, and violence in the healthcare setting may have to do with impacts on nurse staffing.