The Relentless School Nurse: Grassroots Democracy in Action – Nursing’s Political Power

The recognition of my blog, The Relentless School Nurse, in the Advances in Nursing Science Journal’s Opinion Paper: Revisiting Speaking Truth to Power: A Return to Its Roots by Mary K. Canales, PhD, RN, is a meaningful acknowledgment of my advocacy and a powerful call to rethink how nurses engage politically. Rather than rely on repeated moral appeals to “step up,” the article argues we need innovative models that genuinely empower nurses to participate in democracy.

For decades, nursing has encouraged political involvement through a values-based framework. From Adeline Falk-Rafael’s concept of “critical caring” to the historical language of the 1950 ANA Code of Ethics, nurses have been called to view political action as a moral and professional duty. Yet, as this article highlights, these appeals have not led to widespread political engagement. Persistent barriers, like lack of confidence, time constraints, demanding work environments, and beliefs that professional member organizations should stay apolitical, have kept many nurses from entering the political arena. The truth is clear: nurses deeply care, but relatively few are empowered to join the fight for change.

Dr. Mary Canales’s argument resonates so deeply because it is time to move past guilt, past moral persuading, and toward a model rooted in grassroots democracy. The pushback that I often receive in comments on my blogs that some nurses categorize as “too political,” continues to astound me. Nursing is political, as Nurse Economist, Shawna Butler once told me, “nurses have a license to touch people, it doesn’t get more political than that.”

Grassroots democracy is not abstract. It is tangible. It is people-powered. It creates coalitions built on trust, respect, relationship-building, and shared purpose, sometimes called a “big tent”. As Dr. Canales’s compelling Op-Ed illustrates, grassroots democracy draws inspiration from Bayard Rustin’s organizing principles, the same principles that mobilized the 1963 March on Washington that sparked enduring social change, until now. 

The article argues that this framework is far more aligned with how nurses already operate. We know how to build trust. We know how to form affinity groups. We know how to mobilize communities. And we know how to care, not as a lofty theory but as a living organic practice. In grassroots democracy, care isn’t the reason for activism; it’s the way activism is sustained.

What moved me most was seeing how Dr. Canales highlighted real-world examples of nurses putting grassroots democracy into action. To my surprise and gratitude, The Relentless School Nurse was one of them. The article acknowledges that, in my case, a singular voice in nursing can make a difference by mobilizing peers and advancing issues that shape both nursing practice and healthcare policy. This reflects the broader truth that individual nurses hold the power to drive change through advocacy, storytelling, and active participation in the political processes central to our profession’s mission.

And it doesn’t stop there. The article also lifts up organizations like Nurses for America and Defend Public Health, volunteer-driven, member-powered networks built outside traditional professional structures. They aren’t waiting for permission or hierarchy. They’re organizing for the health of the nation in real time, educating voters, endorsing candidates, pushing for election reforms, and confronting anti-science officials head-on.

These examples affirm something I have long believed: nurses don’t need to wait for institutional leadership to give us power or permission to be political. We already have it—but we need to mobilize together to use it.

The heart of the piece is this: the political moment we’re living in requires more than speaking truth to power. It requires joining forces with the people most affected — children, families, communities, the colleagues working beside us — and participating in democratic movements designed for the long haul.

Grassroots democracy gives nurses a way in.
A way forward.
And most importantly, a way to build something larger than ourselves.

There is room for every nurse under this “big tent.” Whether it’s sharing a blog post, showing up to a meeting, joining an online community, engaging in local organizing, or—yes—running for office, there is a place for each of us.

I am proud that The Relentless School Nurse was recognized as part of this movement. But even more than pride, I feel a renewed sense of responsibility. If my work creates pathways for other nurses to join grassroots efforts, then every post, every call to action, every conversation has been worth it.

Our profession stands at a crossroads. The systems that safeguard public health are under assault. The communities we serve are navigating deepening inequities. And the stakes are too high for any of us to sit back and wait for someone else to lead.

This is the moment to build the coalition Bayard Rustin imagined.
This is the moment to reclaim our power.
This is the moment for nurses everywhere to step into grassroots democracy.

Not because we are morally obligated.
But because together, we can change what’s possible.