Introduction
Nurses now play a pivotal role in advancing social justice and health equality in the context of a healthcare system that is both complicated and varied. Nurses who address socioeconomic determinants of health, fight structural injustices and offer care that considers patients’ cultural backgrounds may significantly advance socioeconomic justice and health equality.
Nursing Strategies in Promoting Health Equality and Justice
Some ways nurses may work toward achieving health equality and social justice are listed below.
Promoting Health Equity via Policy Advocacy
Nurses are uniquely positioned to inform policymakers on the significance of tackling social determinants of health. They may also do their part to guarantee that all individuals benefit from the policies implemented regardless of their background or socioeconomic standing.
Meeting Cultural Needs
Catering to a variety of cultural needs, nurses can guarantee that all patients get treatment that takes into account their own values and traditions. This process includes providing translators, patient education on available healthcare alternatives, and removal of any linguistic, cultural, or other obstacles to treatment.
Making People Aware of Health Equity Issues
Nurses are uniquely positioned to educate the public about health equality and the variables that affect it. Furthermore, they may teach the public how to lobby for health equality measures effectively.
Using Community-Based Approaches to Reduce Health Inequalities
Together with communities, nurses may investigate and address the social factors that affect health. Efforts in this direction might focus on expanding access to better facilities for learning, living, and getting around.
Combating the Unconscious Prejudice in the Medical Field
The propensity to subconsciously prefer one group of individuals over another is known as implicit bias. To combat implicit prejudice, nurses must first recognize their biases and then seek to foster a more welcoming and fair healthcare system.
Fighting for the Rights of Underrepresented Communities
By speaking out against prejudice and fighting to ensure that all people have access to excellent, accessible health care, nurses can advocate for the rights of disadvantaged groups.
Possibilities for Nursing Advocacy
Nurses are in a prime position to advocate for health equality and social justice. Individuals, families, communities, and policymakers may all benefit from their knowledge of the socioeconomic determinants of health and their ability to collaborate with them to improve social justice and equity. Here are some concrete ways nurses have advocated for health equality and social justice.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) issued a statement in 2017 urging attention be paid to these social factors to improve population health. The statement emphasized nurses’ efforts to guarantee that all individuals, regardless of color, ethnicity, socioeconomic position, or other considerations, have access to affordable health care.
The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) has been working to eliminate inequalities in Black people’s health since 2018. The campaign’s primary goal was to educate the public about health inequalities and the many variables that play a role in perpetuating them. The NBNA also did outreach to teach people how to lobby for health equality measures.
In 2020, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) published a toolkit for NPs to use in their work to advance health equality. The toolkit also included resources for nurse practitioners, including information on socioeconomic determinants of health and methods for reducing health inequalities.
Conclusion
In this way, nurses are in a prime position to advance the causes of social justice and health fairness. They are the ones providing treatment to patients immediately, and they have the knowledge and expertise to make a difference in people’s lives and communities. Nurses can help ensure everyone is healthy and happy by tackling the socioeconomic determinants of health and striving to build a more fair and equitable society.
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