An Examination of Nursing's Contribution to Global Health

Abstract

Nurses provide the vast majority of front-line global healthcare, but little is known about the contribution that nursing has made to global population health. Study abroad programs have become a popular venue for engaging nursing students in global health initiatives. Yet, many programs lack reliable tools and evaluation methods to measure the contribution of nursing. Global health is one of the four priorities for the future of nursing science (Eckhardt et al., 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of nursing to global health. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with five nursing students who completed a 2017 study abroad program, in either Guatemala or Nicaragua. In-person interviews were conducted, audio-taped and transcribed. Content analysis was used to look for commonalities and differences within and between cases. Three themes were identified: Seeking Sustainability, Practicing Advocacy, and Engaging in Informed Practice. Seeking Sustainability described efforts by participants to build community partnerships which empowered communities to continue the health promotion efforts. Practicing Advocacy defined how participants used the knowledge and experience they gained to improve care for host country nationals and Latino patients in the US. Engaging in Informed Practice involved applying principles of safety, quality, and ethical behavior to clinical practice abroad. The only outcome-specific program identified by participants was the water filter study in Guatemala. Most participants could not name a measurement or evaluation tool used during their program. This suggests a need for further research, since evaluation of nursing initiatives’ contributions to global health helps fulfill the United Nation 2030 Sustainability Development Goals.