The Role of Nurses as Allies Against Racism and Discrimination

Abstract

Nurses must always stress human rights protection and uphold the values and ethics of the profession. The purpose of this position statement is to bring the topic of human rights to the forefront and provide nurses with specific actions to protect and promote human rights in every practice setting. It describes the relationship between nurses' ethical obligations, the concept of human rights, and professional nursing practice. Statement of ANA Position The American Nurses Association believes that respect for the inherent dignity, worth, unique attributes, and human rights of all individuals is a fundamental principle ("Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretative Statements" [American Nurses Association, 2015, p. 1]). Nurses establish relationships of trust and provide nursing services according to need, setting aside any bias or prejudice (ANA, 2015, p. 1). This statement on ethics and human rights provides the foundation and context for all other position statements related to the practice of nursing. The protection and promotion of human rights in health and health care are fundamental functions of the American Nurses Association. Recommendations ANA supports the following recommendations:  All nurses advocate for human rights of patients, colleagues, and communities.

Addressing Health Inequity Through Nursing Science

“…While this focus is compelling and consistent with the emphasis on "omic" approaches in precision medicine, social, behavioral, and environmental determinants of health are also critical elements of precision health that may signal health risk and serve as modifiable targets for multi-level intervention (Corwin, Redeker, Richmond, Docherty, & Pickler, 2019;Hekler, Tiro, Hunter, & Nebeker, 2020). A focus on these phenomena, in addition to biology, is consistent with the discipline's longstanding emphases reflected in our meta-paradigm that links humans, health, nursing, and the environment (Fawcett, 1984), our focus on social justice, health equity, (Dumitrascu, David, Dumitrascu, & Rogozea, 2020), and activism (Florell, 2021;Weitzel et al, 2020), and the contributions of environmental factors to health as emphasized by Florence Nightingale (Nightingale, 1860).…”

A Clarion Call for Nurses and the Profession of Nursing

“…Of course, it is, given that policy shapes health, health care, and nursing practice. Policy is forged in a political environment that must be acknowledged to understand and change policies to address the social conditions that impact health, either positively or negatively (Weitzel et al, 2020). It is distressing that basic human value and dignity have been politicized.…”

Realising 2020 as ‘International Year of the Nurse’: Is nursing management part of the problem, or part of the solution?

“…Whilst we have much to celebrate about nursing and its achievements, too many nurses leave the profession or endure toxic workplaces, stultifying cultures and services riven by structural racism (Weitzel et al., 2020) and bullying (Darbyshire, Thompson, & Watson, 2019). The nursing literature, mainstream and social media describe ‘Stalinist fear factories’ (Darbyshire, 2010) (p. 6) that many nurses and their managers experience.…”