NURSING AND POLITICS.
Are you one of those who think that nurses can’t engage in anything else aside from taking care of patients?
A lot of people see nursing as a profession that is limited to the hospital.
Permit me to tell you that nurses can engage in other activities too as far as it is in line with their profession. One of which is politics.
Let me guess you are one of those who think politics is a dirty game, and now you are thinking that if those in the nursing profession go into politics they might soil their hands and spoil the reputation of the profession.
In as much as there are bad heads in politics, the good ones still exist, it should also be known that politics when played right helps to proffer solutions to almost all problems facing the masses, public and professional fields(Nursing).
Nursing is one of the noble professions that give a lot of love and respect to the candidates, yet it doesn’t proffer solutions to itself and its members let alone the masses or the public.
In Nursing, politics has got its benefits and it also poses solutions to the ups and downs in the profession.
Politics is a dynamic of power found everywhere, in various institutions, personal relationships with the family, community to larger collections of people. Unfortunately, the nursing profession often seems to rely on unions(NANNM, UGONSA, and NUNSA) or figureheads to represent our professional interests and often feel disempowered or disinterested. This is because there is a limit to which any union in the nursing profession can help its members effectively.
There has always been a poor attitude of the nursing profession toward participating in decision-making in the hospital setting, thereby leading to the posting of such nurses, to where they cannot function well.
Poor funding for health care makes the nursing profession not properly equipped, and this causes numerous inadequacies in providing proper healthcare to their patients.
Furthermore, nurses become frustrated by policies affecting nursing practice, particularly when those policies, are being written by individuals with limited healthcare knowledge and experience. Individuals who do not know the in-depth of the profession cause nurses to be disillusioned, bittered, and burnt out.
With political involvement, we can do a lot for ourselves, we can turn things around for good. We can surpass other professionals who do not understand our infliction, from making decisions for us, as they will always influence policies and decisions to favor themselves. Whereas “A profession should be ruled and dedicated by the members who make up that profession, not someone else telling us what we can do and can’t do”. Therefore, there are great reasons for the nursing profession to be politically active.
It should be understood that the concept of power and politics in nursing entails the reform of health issues such as facilities for effective higher education in nursing and facilities to render effective patient care in any given situation.
Nurses need the knowledge and skills to enhance and safeguard the community’s health through the influence of policies that may affect the health of the community. We have stood on the periphery of power and policies for so long as a result of our inability to use our force in the formulation of health policies. Therefore, nurses should be involved in policymaking to maintain their control over nursing practice and have an impact on and access to the delivery of health care.
We can represent the interest of the nursing profession. Most Nurses would have experienced healthcare cutbacks and unnecessary decreases in their salaries. Most nurses work in very hostile environments, where many naive doctors see them as just maids useful for running errands.
A nurse always looked down upon by a doctor would never be motivated enough for her job and will hurt the patient’s life. Partaking in political activities will enable us to vote for people(our own) who will support our job security, such as establishing a special body or agency to handle and prosecute cases of abuse of Nurses by doctors or patients. And also enhance adequate funding for healthcare.
Advocacy. We can advocate for our patients. This is a vital reason for nurses to be politically active. Political activities take the work of Nurses from being a discrete event to one selling and raising it to a societal level. When you think about it, Nurses are the superheroes of health care. While they don’t leap tall buildings in a single bound or race speeding bullets, these extraordinary caregivers seek justice for their patients, especially society’s most vulnerable. Requiring strength, courage, compassion, and competence, the role of the Nurse as a patient advocate is a powerful one
That’s taking health care to the next level. After all, Nurses have the most interpersonal contact with patients, putting them in the best position to act as links between patients and families or patients and physicians. When Nurses have more responsibility and a louder voice in workflow design, not only does public health improve, the entire healthcare system becomes more effective.
The question now is, “How do I become involved?”. There are many ways nurses can be politically active. When a candidate from your profession comes out for a political position,
VOTE! And encourage others to vote.
Engage with a political party or organization on your social media, and share information with your followers. Actively participate in your nursing union or association. Join a protest or demonstration. Run for a political position or office either at the local, state, or federal level.
Talk about politics with your coworkers, friends, and neighbors and encourage them to get involved.
Finally, for Nursing as a profession to succeed and raise again in Nigeria. We must change our mindset about politics and actively participate in politics outside the profession(NUNSA, NANNM, UGONSA).
