Abstract
Nurses are the primary and the largest personnel of any health care system. However, global nursing shortages continue due to high turnover, inequitable work distribution and compensation, increase international mobility, under resourced or harsh conditions of work, and few or no education opportunities. In the midst of a decrease from 6.6 to 5.9 million nurses in 2018, 5.3 million (89%) of this shortage affects low- and low-middle countries, where populations' growth tends to increase compared to high-income countries. In addition, globally 90% of the nursing workforce is composed by women, who only hold 25% of health leadership positions. As a result, studies reporting nurses’ feelings of being undervalued and unappreciated are emerging. Having nurses in key leadership positions within the health care systems could open spaces for these professionals to work on par, inter-professionally, with the care team, particularly in countries where medical hegemony still exists and where the nursing profession have yet to achieve the hierarchy and protagonism desired. This can leverage nursing to enhance health institutional inclusiveness and strengthen the quality of services (SDG 16) for populations to achieve good health and well-being (SDG 3), and in the long run reverse nursing shortages. The present global action, using as an exemplar the country of Bolivia, a low-middle-income country, proposes an advocacy plan with the purpose of raising awareness on the country's influential health individuals, professional organizations, and others about the myriad contributions nurses make at the clients, community, and systems' levels of health care, to then collaboratively, strengthen nurses protagonism within the Bolivia's health case system. This proposal can be a guide for other countries facing similar issues on this topic.
Sigma Membership
Theta Upsilon
Lead Author Affiliation
Seattle University, Seattle, Washington, USA
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document, Video Recording
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Developing Countries, Nursing Leadership, Protagonism
Recommended Citation
Garcia, Daisy S., "Ensuring nurses' protagonism within the healthcare systems in developing countries" (2024). Global Advocacy. 1.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/ga/2024/presentations/1
Conference Name
Sigma Virtual Mini Academy: Global Advocacy
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Virtual Event
Conference Year
2024
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Rights Holder
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Review Type
Faculty/Mentor Approved: Sigma Academy Participant Presentation
Acquisition
Self-submission
Ensuring nurses' protagonism within the healthcare systems in developing countries
Virtual Event
Nurses are the primary and the largest personnel of any health care system. However, global nursing shortages continue due to high turnover, inequitable work distribution and compensation, increase international mobility, under resourced or harsh conditions of work, and few or no education opportunities. In the midst of a decrease from 6.6 to 5.9 million nurses in 2018, 5.3 million (89%) of this shortage affects low- and low-middle countries, where populations' growth tends to increase compared to high-income countries. In addition, globally 90% of the nursing workforce is composed by women, who only hold 25% of health leadership positions. As a result, studies reporting nurses’ feelings of being undervalued and unappreciated are emerging. Having nurses in key leadership positions within the health care systems could open spaces for these professionals to work on par, inter-professionally, with the care team, particularly in countries where medical hegemony still exists and where the nursing profession have yet to achieve the hierarchy and protagonism desired. This can leverage nursing to enhance health institutional inclusiveness and strengthen the quality of services (SDG 16) for populations to achieve good health and well-being (SDG 3), and in the long run reverse nursing shortages. The present global action, using as an exemplar the country of Bolivia, a low-middle-income country, proposes an advocacy plan with the purpose of raising awareness on the country's influential health individuals, professional organizations, and others about the myriad contributions nurses make at the clients, community, and systems' levels of health care, to then collaboratively, strengthen nurses protagonism within the Bolivia's health case system. This proposal can be a guide for other countries facing similar issues on this topic.
Description
Dr. Garcia was an academy scholar in the Sigma Virtual Mini Academy: Global Advocacy 2024 cohort.