When it comes to social-political knowing and the “need for fundamental changes
When it comes to social-political knowing and the “need for fundamental changes in knowledge and practice” I consider my role and responsibility as a nursing leader to include not only assessing my patient and addressing their needs to improve their health and well-being but also being self-aware of any biases that I might present while providing my patient with care. It is to see my patient not only as a diagnosis but as a person who is impacted by the environment and societal values surrounding them on a day-to-day basis. It is to actively reinforce my education and stay up to date with recent evidence-based practices to best serve my community and the people with whom I impact my care. It includes speaking up and speaking out to influence policymakers and government officials who oversee laws and regulations that impact whole communities and groups of people. As a health care professional of color, I consider my role and responsibility as a nursing leader to include representing communities that have been underserved, underrepresented, and even denied the simple notion of being heard. Part of my role is to stand where very few of us have stood, speak where many of us have been shushed, and dare to look different in a place where different is not always welcome.
These roles and responsibilities help us move towards health equity by implementing diversity at the core of the healthcare system which is the nursing workforce. we are the largest group of workers and the healthcare system, yet many times we do not look like the populations that we serve. It is very difficult for someone to truly advocate for the needs of a community of which they are not a part of. Once they are done with work they clock out and go back to their lives, many times these lives don’t include a lot of the struggles and adversities that minority groups must face when they clock out and go back home. Health equity many
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times is often impacted by multiple factors that include level of education, access to shelter, food security, safety, and job security. Having people of color serve in health care might not fix all the problems with health inequality overnight, but it is a good place to start.
