Advocacy From the Lens of Novice to Expert

Despite the nursing profession's position of influence, policy advocacy competency remains underdeveloped across nursing education and practice. Many nurses report limited knowledge, confidence, and preparation to engage effectively in legislative and political processes. A structured developmental framework for political advocacy competence is needed.

This article applies Benner's novice to expert model to the development of nursing political advocacy competence and provides practical, stage-specific guidance for nurses seeking to advance their advocacy engagement.

This topical article integrates findings from a focused review of English-language literature published within the past 10 years in CINAHL® and PubMed® with experiential insights from sustained legislative engagement within a professional nursing organization. Key themes related to barriers, competency development, and advocacy engagement were synthesized and mapped onto Benner's developmental stages to construct a practical advocacy progression model.

Benner's framework provides a structured road map for political advocacy development across five stages: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Each stage reflects increasing knowledge of legislative processes, strategic engagement, and professional identity integration. Intentional participation in professional organizations, committee involvement, mentorship, and repeated exposure to advocacy activities facilitate progression. By conceptualizing nursing political advocacy competence as a developmental process rather than an innate trait, nurses can systematically build the confidence and skills necessary to influence policies that shape oncology care, workforce conditions, and patient outcomes.