Abstract
Nursing has a rich history of resistance and political action in North America and around the world. This study offers a critical and gendered perspective of nurses as political agents through the historical exploration of three themes related of health as a driver for democracy. This critical historical review offers a comprehensive and nuanced overview of how health and democracy are deeply intertwined, and how nurses and professional nursing have both contributed and undermined democracy through political engagement with health, health policies and governments. The three themes critically analyzed are: (1) nursing and reproductive rights (2) nursing and harm reduction and finally (3) nursing in times of fascism and war. The three themes will converge in a discussion on professionalisation and it’s role in developing or hindering political agency in nursing. To conclude, disruptive and innovative role models are presented.
Presenters
Natalie Stake DoucetAssistant Professor, Nursing, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Health for Democracy, Democracy for Health
KEYWORDS
Care, Nursing, Feminism, Gender, History
