Emerging Global Health Concerns: How Nurses Respond
October 30, 2020
Response by Cesar Morales to "Emerging Global Health Issues: A Nurse’s Role" by Edmonson, McCarthy, Trent-Adams, McCain, & Marshall (January 31, 2017)
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to the January 2017 article titled, “Emerging Global Health Issues: A Nurse’s Role” (Edmonson, McCarthy, Trent-Adams, McCain, & Marshall, 2017). I found the article to be interesting because it provides insight about the nurse’s role when it comes to global health issues (GHIs) and how nurses are leaders beyond the local context. I have realized that many nurses are not aware how the nursing profession impacts the GHIs and how they can become leaders in the global context.
Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system. Nurses, by the nature of the profession, are intrinsically in position to be leaders. For many years, nurses have sought a seat at the table. As the world continues to evolve, become more complex and diverse, so does the nursing profession. Nursing must evolve and adapt to the evolving global population. Therefore, nurses have the opportunity to address the global health issues and become “leaders and agents of change” (Edmonson et al., 2017). I concur with the authors that nurses must begin to view themselves as global citizens. As global citizens, nurses start thinking of ways to make the “world a better place” and help mitigate GHIs alluded in the article (Edmonson et al., 2017).
While I agree with the points made in the article by the authors on the role nurses have in GHIs, I would have liked to gain insight on the skills and attributes that nurses must possess to contribute as global leaders and how to acquire or develop those skills. We live a diverse world and because “diversity by its very definition of inclusivity and difference necessitates flexibility and the ability to adapt what leaders do given the unique composition of an organization’s members, differing organizational contexts and their cultures and the match between leader and member social identities” (Chin & Trimble, 2015, pg 55). Therefore, nurse leaders at the local level must embrace diversity to replicate it in the global context and promote interpersonal communication in order to be “agents of change” (Edmonson et. al., 2017).
I appreciated the authors’ suggestions on ways nurses can contribute, including “becoming more active in communities; professional nursing organizations; policy making and advocacy organizations; and their workplaces” (Edmonson et al., 2017, para 56). I believe the authors provided great insight into the role nurses play in GHIs., but I believe readers could have benefited from elaboration on the skills and attributes nurses must have to effectively contribute as global leaders
Very Respectfully,
Cesar Morales, RN
References
Chin, J.L., & Trimble, J.E. (2015). Diversity and leadership, (1st Ed.). Sage Publications Ltd. Holtz, C. (2013). Global Health Care. Issues and policies. MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Edmonson, C., McCarthy, C., Trent-Adams, S., McCain, C., Marshall, J., (January 31, 2017). "Emerging Global Health Issues: A Nurse’s Role" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 22(1). DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol22No01Man02
