The Environment as a Patient: A Content Analysis of Canadian Nursing Organizations and Regulatory Bodies Policies on Environmental Health

Background Individual, community, and societal health is impacted by the environment, specifically by air, water and soil pollution, and climate change. Poor environmental conditions have been associated with many illness exacerbations. Although global nursing organizations have increased their environmental health focus, evidence is lacking that Canadian nurse leaders and organizations are similarly invested. Purpose The purpose of this analysis was to explore the policies of Canadian nursing regulatory bodies and associations on nursing practice specific to environmental health. Methods A content analysis of nursing focused position statements and competency documents was conducted to assess Canadian nursing policies in environmental health. Publicly available position statements and competency documents regarding health and the environment were retrieved from Canadian nursing regulatory colleges and nursing associations, the Canadian Nursing Associations, and the International Council of Nurses. All documents were coded inductively and thematically analyzed. Results In total, 22 documents were retrieved which consisted of 11 policy statements from nursing associations and 11 competency documents from nursing regulators and national associations. Four themes were generated: collaboration, language of engagement, nursing actions, and social justice. Conclusion There is a gap between nursing policies and competencies directing nursing action related to the health of the environment across Canada. There is an opportunity to improve eco-literacy within the nursing profession, undergraduate education and to produce nursing research on environmental health.

School Nursing Associations: Restructuring for Contemporary Practice

School nursing associations are the professional organizations that help members collaborate with each other, keep up-to-date with trends and advances within the profession, advocate the positions of the profession, and provide a place of connection with stakeholders and government entities. Participation by members in professional associations is waning across the country affecting the work they can do. The Illinois Association of School Nurses took a proactive approach to reorganize and revitalize their organization and membership.

Associativism in nursing, public communication, and interaction with the media

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the processes of producing messages and interacting with the media by professional nursing associations. Methods: Qualitative, descriptive study based on semi-structured interviews with managers of five professional nursing associations in Portugal. The data were subjected to thematic content analysis. Results: Regulatory and union associations use public relations services and refer more strategies for interacting with journalists. Professional specialization associations interact less frequently and prefer social media for publishing their messages. Voluntary work and the reduced professionalization of the communication of specialized associations favors a nursing retraction stance towards the media. Final considerations: Organizational and cultural factors may help to explain nursing’s limited access to the media. The use of renewal, cooperation, and education strategies will help overcome some of the limitations experienced by these associations.

Nurses, Nursing Associations, and Health Systems Evolution in Canada

Canada and the United States are geographically large federal states with strong central (national) governments. These governments connect to partially self-governing provincial, state, and/or territorial governments that pose ongoing tensions in health systems. Like most countries, both are confronted with the need to contain spiraling costs while delivering better healthcare and promoting better population health. At the same time, they are challenged by global authorities, such as the United Nations, to deliver universal healthcare, primary healthcare, respond to development goals, and address the structural drivers of health inequities. Data from both countries affirms public trust in nurses, with the expectation that they will act in the public interest to improve care and population health. In this article, we focus on Canada. First, we briefly describe the history of health system development and reform, and then consider nursing policy and advocacy in the 21st century. Finally, we offer examples of nurse-led solutions from Canadian nurses and nursing associations to build, overhaul and improve health systems and influence health policy.

Nurses Responsibilities on Providing Enteral Nutrition to the Critically Ill Patient—An European Federation of Critical Care Nursing Associations Position Paper

In ICU, one of the nurse's roles is to ensure proper nutrition support to facilitate their recovery. However, few nutrition protocols for nurses are found. The European federation of Critical Care Nursing associations (EfCCNa) position statement provides ICU nurses with evidenced guidelines regarding caring for critically ill patients with enteral nutrition support.

Nurse or Soldier?

This chapter examines how World War II provided an opportunity for white male nurses to mount a campaign to integrate the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) as part of their larger strategy for equality within the nursing profession. More specifically, it considers how male nurses made claims for inclusion and recognition in the ANC based on their training. The chapter begins with a discussion of male nurses' push for broader acceptance and employment, and especially their campaign for inclusion in national nursing associations such as the American Nurses' Association and the ANC. It then considers questions about the responsibilities and obligations of male nurses in war mobilization, along with calls for legislation that would commission male nurses into the nurse corps and end the ANC's female-only directive. It suggests that the white male nurses' integration campaign during World War II is a reflection of how gender and biological sex could transcend race.