Provision 10

Nursing is a global force positioned to develop programs, shape policies, and pursue legislation that supports individual and environmental health. There are many opportunities to reach out and connect in various roles as liaisons, researchers, educators, mentors, advisers, government representatives, elected officials, and participants in health diplomacy.

Local concerns are now global concerns. Global security is perpetually jeopardized by pandemics, terrorism, natural disasters, and human exploitation including trafficking. Beyond security, health is a major element in economic welfare, human rights, social justice, foreign policy, and geopolitical decisions. Health can no longer be subservient to other values, specifically profit. Successful health outcomes are achieved when foreign policy is aligned with identified health needs. Health diplomacy does not stand on its own. It is the knowledge that is generated by nursing practice, research, teaching, scholarship, and theory that informs nursing health diplomacy. Thus, all nurses have a role to play in supporting those who lead health diplomacy as they allocate resources and develop policies to address global health challenges.

Human life and health are profoundly affected by the state of the natural world that surrounds us. Planetary health challenges include environmental degradation, aridification, exploitation of Earth’s resources, ecosystem destruction, climate change, waste, microplastics, forever chemicals, and other environmental assaults. These disproportionately affect the health of the poor and ultimately affect the health of all humanity. Nursing advocates for policies, programs, legislation, and practices that maintain and sustain the natural world. Nurses who are knowledgeable about complex social and global issues and skilled in policy or a variety of forms of activism should represent a voice of nursing in relation to these concerns. Multiple perspectives should be respected within the community of nursing.

As nursing seeks to promote health and human functioning, facilitate healing, prevent illness and injury, alleviate suffering, and advocate for all in need of nursing in recognition of all humanity, it does so from a holistic understanding of health that encompasses the environment.

Nurses are present at the beginning of life, at the end of life, at the bedside, and in homes and communities; in prisons, schools, hospitals, birthing centers, faith-based centers, telehealth, and mobile clinics; in natural and human-made disasters, amid armed conflict; in flight, in transport, on the ground. Nursing is everywhere in the midst of human joy, concern, and suffering, bringing comfort, compassion, expertise, and skill.

Nursing brings to the world a uniquely intimate knowledge of the human condition and its interaction with the environment, and is well-positioned to address the social, economic, political, and institutional causes that inhibit health and well-being. Nursing works to undermine those social and political forces that harm, and strengthens those forces that foster health and flourishing, and repair and heal the world.