Pennsylvania Nurse 2019 74.3 | Page 5

Happenings on the Hill by: PSNA Government Affairs Specialist Alex Bonner PSNA Member Ellen Schauerman, RNC-NIC, BSN Wins City Council Election Nurses lack strong representation in state and local government. In fact, as the largest group of healthcare providers in both the state and the nation, nurses make up less than 1% of the Pennsylvania State Legislature. Currently, there are three registered nurses serving as legislators in the Commonwealth. Much is the same in local politics. However, in 2019, that changed in Erie County. PSNA member and Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania (NFP) Board Trustee Ellen Schauerman, a full-time neonatal nurse at UPMC Hamot, decided it was time to run. “I’ve always been a person that gets involved in things,” Schauerman told PSNA. “I was taught to do whatever I could because the world doesn’t go around if people don’t give back.” In addition to serving on the PSNA Board of Directors and NFP, Schauerman is a graduate of the PSNA Legislative Ambassador Program (LAP). Through the LAP program, members participate in a broad range of advocacy initiatives while building relationships with elected officials. Due to her success in the program, she was invited to serve on the PSNA Government Relations Committee. Today, Schauerman is the Committee Chair. “In meetings at PSNA, I would hear how important it was for nurses to get involved. That is why I joined the Legislative Ambassadors,” said Schauerman. Schauerman joined 28 PSNA Ambassadors from across the state, communicating with legislators once a month through face-to-face visits, calls, e-mails, and/or Tweets. Using skills from the LAP, she decided to run for Erie County Council after learning that Councilwoman Carol Loll would be stepping down after 24 years of service. “I wanted to make an impact at a grassroots level and directly help the citizens and businesses in my area,” said Schauerman. After getting petitions signed by registered voters in Erie’s 7 th district, Schauerman began her campaign. During the May primary, she defeated three candidates for her party’s nomination. In November 2019, she was sitting in a local tavern, surrounded by friends and family, when the news broke of her victory. Schauerman had won her election for Erie County Council District 7 by over 1,600 votes. “Several issues facing our citizens and businesses are, in some way, tied to health,” she noted. “These decisions are made in local government, as well as state and federal government. They affect lives and that is why it’s important to have nurses involved in politics.” When asked to share the most interesting thing about the electoral process, Schauerman responded, “I used to sit on the other side of the table. I’d be the one setting up meetings to speak with and educate lawmakers on what was going on in healthcare. It has been interesting to be on the receiving end of the information as others seek you out for a conversation.” Issue 74, 3 2019 Pennsylvania Nurse 3