Nursing's Social Policy Statement

Nursing’s Social Policy Statement

 Catherine E. NeumaA-BCn, MSN, RN, N

https://essentialguidetonursingpractice.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/pages-from-essential-guide-to-nursing-practice-chapter-1.pdf

 Nursing is a part of the society from which it grew and continues to evolve. As a profession, nursing is valued both within and outside that society. From the time of Florence Nightingale’s Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not in 1859 and the work of Virginia Henderson in 1961, the nursing profession has been responsive to the needs of society. Continuing this tradition, in 1980 the American Nurses Association (ANA) published the fi rst Nursing: A Social Policy Statement (ANA, 1980), which was updated in 1995 as Nursing’s Social Policy Statement. In 2003, ANA published the second edition of Nursing’s Social Policy Statement. Subsequently in 2010, ANA published Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: The Essence of the Profession (ANA, 2010a), which articulates the ways in which contemporary nursing as a profession is valued within U.S. society and is uniquely accountable to that society. As with its predecessors, the current edition provides helpful information to nurses, other health professionals, legislators, regulators, members of funding bodies, and the public. This new guide presents a summary of each section, followed by a discussion of how each social policy statement applies to nursing practice.

including nursing, are the property of society, not of the individual. What individuals acquire through training (education) is professional knowledge and skill, not a profession or even part ownership of one (Page, 1975, p. 7). Nursing is dynamic rather than static and refl ects the changing nature of society’s needs. As health care continues to be of utmost importance in the United States and throughout the world, nursing provides a leadership role in guiding the public and political leaders in the following areas: u Organization, delivery, and fi nancing quality health care Quality health care is a human right for all (ANA, 2008). It is expected that healthcare professionals address the increasing costs of health care; the ongoing health disparities; and the continuing lack of safe, accessible, and available healthcare resources and services. u Provision for the public’s health This provision promotes the responsibility of nursing to supply basic self-help measures for all, and it enhances the use of health promotion, disease prevention, and environmental measures. u Expansion of nursing and healthcare knowledge and appropriate application of technology Evidence-based practice, including the incorporation of research and evidence into nursing practice, promotes the application of knowledge and technology into healthcare outcomes. u Expansion of healthcare resources and health policy Expanded facilities and workforce capacity for personal care and community services are required to accomplish this goal. u Defi nitive planning for health policy and regulation Collaborative planning must be responsive to the needs of healthcare consumers and must provide resources for the health care of all members of society. u Duties under extreme conditions Healthcare professionals provide care under extreme conditions, thereby weighing their obligation to provide care with their own health and that of their families during emergencies. Social and political priorities for nursing include addressing the cost and quantity of healthcare services, along with having regulatory bodies provide various types of guidance.