A Historical-Philosophical Analysis of the Professional Nurse Obligation to Participate in Sociopolitical Activities

Abstract

Professional nurses practice within a social, economic, cultural, and political context. Despite this, nursing practice and education have historically focused their attention on the nurse-patient relationship. That focus is inadequate to address the needs of society in today’s health care environment. Considering the context of nursing care delivery, a historical-philosophical analysis was done to answer the ontological question: Does the scope of professional nursing practice include the obligation to participate in sociopolitical activities? The scope of professional nursing practice included key professional documents, predominant published ideologies, and the contemporary knowledge paradigm of nursing. An extensive analysis of the scope was done to search for evidences of sociopolitical obligation. Strong evidence was found in all sources. A logical argument based on findings showed that professional nursing practice does include a moral and professional obligation to participate in sociopolitical activities. Four ethical considerations related to the findings were discussed.