Health policy can emerge from a variety of sources. Research studies, practice guidelines, community preferences, and information from practice-based settings may all play a role in the process. Thus, being able to think broadly and then generalize from research results is a key step in paving the way for change. Nursing research, with its emphasis on behavior as a predicate for good health, symptom management in chronic illness, health promotion, health disparities, and caregiving, is ideally suited for the policy issues facing us today and for centuries to come. Health policy has grown to encompass prevention and wellness as well as care delivery. Influencing policy is facilitated when approached early in the planning process. One important aspect of creating policy change is the effective utilization of networks and influence groups, including professional societies, community, and advocacy groups.