$118.6K/yr – $148.2K/yr Advocacy Specialist (Critical Care Nursing)

POSITION SUMMARY

Position Title: Advocacy Specialist

Department: Strategic Advocacy

Reports to: Strategic Advocacy

About the Organization: The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing the interests of more than 550,000 nurses who are charged with caring for acutely and critically ill patients. AACN is dedicated to creating a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and families where acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. Visit us online at http://www.aacn.org.

AACN is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person employed by or seeking employment with AACN on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex and gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation), ancestry, national origin, age (40 or older), disability (mental and physical), military or veteran status, marital status, medical condition, or genetic information and any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation.

Application Instructions: Interested individuals can visit our Careers Page and apply for the Advocacy Specialist role. Any questions can be directed to: [email protected]. The position is eligible for remote or hybrid on-site work out of our Aliso Viejo, CA national office. Some travel may be required.

Position Purpose: This Advocacy Specialist manages the development, review, and validation of advocacy, policy, regulatory, and liaison activities that impact acute and critical care nurses, patients, and families. This role involves collaboration with internal stakeholders to develop, refine, and guide the implementation of AACN’s policy and advocacy strategic framework to ensure AACN’s presence/voice in influential venues and activities. The advocacy specialist works closely with internal and external experts to inform/shape decisions that affect our community.

Main Accountabilities:

• Ensures effective systems to bridge strategy with the execution of policy, advocacy, and liaison activities.
• Serves as a lead staff member and/or expert nurse consultant on the administration of the AACN liaison program. Works closely with Operations Specialist to vet requests, provide recommendations for acceptance, and collaborates with key stakeholders for final decision making regarding participation and appropriate liaison/subject matter expert.
• Provides and/or participates in the evaluation of individual and collective liaison activities to determine ROI and possible adjunct opportunities. Ensures communication of liaison outcomes and implications to appropriate stakeholders.
• Provides leadership in ensuring quality and integrity of strategic advocacy solutions that advance AACN’s mission (Healthy Work Environment, Appropriate Staffing, etc.).
• Monitors regulatory, legislative, and other healthcare-related issues that affect nursing practice and where necessary, develop, implement and evaluate action plans for advocating on behalf of the AACN community. Communicates key patient/healthcare trends and issues to appropriate cross-functional team members.
• Collaborates with the communications staff and other team members on a regular basis to build alignment, drive results, achieve timelines, and advocate for strategic policy issues, including the development, implementation, and evaluation of communications plans, messaging, and web content.
• Develops and maintains relationships with key organizations to ensure advocacy campaigns and collaborations remain relevant and on track.
• Communicates with members of the AACN community regarding key advocacy issues and positions and in support of grassroots advocacy.
• Provides nursing expertise and programmatic support to advance key advocacy initiatives, including Healthy Work Environments and Appropriate Staffing.
• Leads project development and execution of advocacy plans and policy initiatives to ensure achievement of organizational goals.
• Provides analysis and synthesis of policy and advocacy issues to inform content for position statements, policy background, white papers, standards (HWE), manuscripts, issue briefs, etc.
• Partners with key staff leaders to identify messages, build alignment, drive production, and achieve timelines.
• Manages and collaborates on projects to include policy statements and policy, advocacy, HWE, and staffing website pages.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Skills Required:

• Exercises independent judgment in the development, implementation, and evaluation of complex advocacy strategies and policy initiatives that support organizational priorities and influence the healthcare landscape; leverages deep nursing and regulatory expertise to inform strategic direction and drive systemic impact.
• Ability to lead high-level collaboration with internal leadership and external partners, exercising discretion in representing the organization’s position, negotiating shared goals, and ensuring alignment of multi-stakeholder advocacy and liaison initiatives with mission-driven outcomes.
• Ability to synthesize and translate complex policy, regulatory, and healthcare trends into high-impact content (e.g., white papers, position statements, strategic briefings) that inform executive decision-making and drive advocacy narratives; ensures consistency and strategic alignment across platforms and audiences.
• Leads and oversees the strategic planning, execution, and optimization of high-impact advocacy programs and initiatives; exercises discretion in driving program outcomes, aligning with organizational objectives, and ensuring cross-functional integration to maximize effectiveness and long-term impact.
• Proven organizational skills and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong research, writing and oral communication skills, including the ability to effectively distill and present complex information in a concise way.
• Well-organized and detail-oriented with good follow-through.
• Knowledgeable nursing and healthcare issues with the potential to impact the AACN Community.
• Knowledge of legislation and regulatory procedures.
• Strong skills in strategy development and execution.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including volunteers.
• Proven ability to develop and manage complex projects requiring innovative thinking that involves multiple stakeholders through to fruition.
• Keen interest in healthy work environments. Well-developed knowledge of AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Initiative and authentically role models the six essential Healthy Work Environment Standards.
• Strong presentation/facilitation skills.

Education and/or Experience:

• BA/BS Required. Master’s degree in related fields preferred.
• Eligible for RN licensure.
• Minimum 7-10 years of proven experience in nursing, critical care preferred.
• Understanding of complexities associated with the changing health care environment is required.
• Extensive experience in leading and driving cross-functional teams to create and implement strategic initiatives that exceed organizational objectives, showcasing a proven track record in delivering impactful, results-oriented solutions

Physical Requirements:

In addition to the responsibilities outlined in the job description, the following requirements represent the essential functions of this job, which must be met by an individual to perform successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. Upon request, the company will engage in an interactive process to identify and implement reasonable accommodations.

This position involves frequent sitting, standing, walking, and reaching, along with regular repetitive hand motions such as typing and mouse use. It requires prolonged periods of desk work and extensive use of standard office equipment. Occasional travel may be necessary.

To perform effectively, the individual must have sufficient visual acuity to read printed materials and digital screens, as well as the auditory ability to comprehend spoken communication. The role demands strong mental stamina to manage multiple tasks, solve problems, determine the appropriate course of action when making decisions, and interpret and apply both oral and written instructions. Regular communication and interaction across various platforms are essential, along with the ability to remain alert, focused, and responsive throughout the workday.

This position also requires proficiency in processing information, communicating across diverse platforms, and analyzing data to inform decision-making. The role involves proactive problem-solving and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to drive organizational objectives, achieve measurable results, and continuous improvement, often with limited direct supervision.

Total Compensation:

The target pay range for this role is $118,577 – $148,222

** In addition to the salary range listed, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at AACN even more rewarding. Benefits include generous paid time off, low-cost health plans for medical and mental health services, dental, and vision, company paid life and short-term disability insurance, a variety of other benefits, and retirement savings program with employer matching and additional company contribution. AACN is committed to a people-centered culture of workplace excellence and belonging, and offers various alternative and flexible work arrangements to support work/life balance for our team members.