Module Components

• Overview

Topics

• Definitions
• Social Determinants of Health
• Health Disparities
• Social Justice and Ethics
• Role of the Public Health Nurse

Nurs 467 - Community / Public Health Nursing

Module 2: Foundational Concepts: Social Determinants, Social Justice and Ethics

Role of the Public Health Nurse

The traditional response to social justice by public health nursing has been in the areas of health promotion and education, and instruction in disease management. However, nurses are assuming leadership in providing nurse-managed care for the underserved. While advanced practice nurses can provide primary health care for the uninsured and underserved, community health nurses are taking on new initiatives.

The National Nursing Center Consortium is a consortium of nurse-managed health centers. These centers may be operated by and/or affiliated with universities, employ faculty and students in the practices, or may be community affiliated. They share the mission to increase access to primary care services for the uninsured. Visit the National Nursing Centers Consortium for a description of their services. Public health nurses, working from the grass roots community level and acting in response to community assessments, are opening up street-front Wellness and Health Promotion Centers in local communities. These wellness centers may be hospital-or clinic affiliated, or freestanding. They may also provide wellness initiatives at senior citizens facilities, community centers, and schools. The centers offer primary and secondary prevention health promoting activities. Programs may have a specific focus, such as breast cancer screening, or a broad focus, such as identification of health risks and designing programs tailored to promote or enhance individual health.

Nursing practice is guided by each state’s respective nurse practice act. Additional guidance for practice and opportunities for social justice intervention is provided by the ANA Scope and Standards of Public Health Nursing Practice (2nd ed.). According to the Standards, “ethical” public health nursing practice includes a demonstrated commitment to addressing the social determinants of health that impose barriers and contribute to health inequities (ANA, 2013).