UMSON students attend National Black Nurses Association Day on Capitol Hill.
Toyah Reid, Kirstyn Collins, and Ma'Isah Sesay Dixon, students from the Black Student Nurses Association at UMSON at the Universities at Shady Grove and from UMSON's new Nursing Policy Academy, attended the 38th Annual National Black Nurses Association at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, accompanied by Yvette Conyers, DNP, RN, FNP-C, CTN-B, CFCN, CFCS, CNE, FADLN, CWCN-AP, assistant professor and associate dean for strategic engagement and impact.
In recognition of Black History Month, the National Black Nurses Association hosted the 38th Annual National Black Nurses Day on Capitol Hill on Feb 5, bringing together nurses and nursing students from across the country to advocate for equitable health care and policy reform. The event has been held annually since 1988 and serves as a platform for educating members of the U.S. Congress on issues that affect the nursing profession and health outcomes in Black communities.
The day began with a national briefing session featuring several prominent nursing and policy leaders who encouraged attendees before they met with legislative offices. Among the speakers was Nicole Austin-Hillery, president and chief executive officer of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and other respected NBNA leaders, including Tonya Jackson, executive director; Janice Johnson, president of the Black Nurses Association of Greater Washington, D.C. Area; and Sheldon D. Fields, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of NBNA. These voices highlighted the importance of policy engagement and encouraged nurses to share their clinical perspectives with lawmakers.
Following the briefing, the students and Conyers met with members of the teams representing Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Kweisi Mfume. Their discussions focused on the 2026 NBNA legislative priorities, which included advancing nursing workforce diversity, ensuring equity and safety in artificial intelligence integration, addressing environmental health disparities, confronting gun violence as a public health crisis, ending the Black maternal mortality crisis, and advancing mental health equity.
For the students, the day offered a firsthand look at how advocacy and policy intersect with nursing practice. They gained confidence in articulating the concerns of nurses and communities and returned to UMSON with a clearer sense of how future nurses can contribute to systemic change. Their participation showed how policy engagement complements clinical training and further highlighted UMSON’s emphasis on leadership, service, and health equity.
pictured, l. to r.: top: Collins, Conyers, Reid, Sesay Dixon, and Hanna Vohra, a health legislative assistant; bottom: Faith Morgan, a legislative assistant, Reid, Conyers, Collins, and Sesay Dixon