Nurses are called to advocate for the communities we serve. Membership and engagement in professional nursing organizations is one strategy to join forces with other nurses to strengthen our collective voice. As a global nursing organization with members from more than 100 countries, Sigma has the reach to influence healthcare and healthcare outcomes worldwide. In July 2012, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) granted special consultative status to Sigma. This UN designation recognizes Sigma’s expertise in nursing and global health, and their commitment to the UN charter, which promotes international cooperation among countries and sectors toward solving humanitarian issues.
As part of this affiliation, Sigma works to provide a strong nursing presence at the UN and conducts outreach around the world to help nurse leaders better understand and contribute to the work of the UN, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Local, measurable, and sustainable actions by individuals and institutions are necessary to achieve the SDGs. Each of the 17 SDGs are important to nurses on both a local and global level because they are determinants of health and well-being.
The holistic nature of the SDGs is in close alignment with the foundational concepts and approach to health and wellness of both nursing and midwifery. The 17 UN SDGs clearly articulate the interconnectedness of the human experience, environmental influences, and quality of life. Nurses understand the interdependence between achieving the SDGs and health and well-being for all and are well-positioned to lead advocacy efforts towards achieving health equity.
An integral part of healthcare systems worldwide, nurses have the potential to reshape healthcare delivery and lead advocacy efforts on many levels. As the largest healthcare workforce with a long history of recognizing social needs as part of healthcare, nurses are uniquely equipped to influence health globally. Nurses have historically believed advocacy is an important part of nursing. We are well-suited to be advocates for many reasons, including the credibility, trustworthiness, and knowledge that nurses bring to communities.
The Sigma UN team works hard to ensure that non nurses recognize the role of nurses as advocates. At a recent conference, the 1st International Academic Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals, UN Liaison Janice Hawkins reminded attendees that including nurses as collaborative partners is critical to SDG attainment and that, without nurses in key roles, the SDG goals and targets are unattainable. Conversations with attendees from other civil society organizations, private sectors, and government agencies help members of the global community understand the SDGs through the lens of a nurse. Because of our firsthand observations of health inequities and recognition of solutions, our collective voices are needed to advocate for better conditions.
Many of the skills that nurses possess and use seamlessly each day are the same skills necessary to influence health policy and improve population health. For example, interpersonal communication, problem solving, leadership, critical thinking, and strong negotiation skills are critical for public policy advocacy and inherent to the professional nurse. Other common attributes of nurses, such as compassion, empathy, assertiveness, and active listening, are essential to influencing public policy and impacting global health.
Globally, nurses are strengthening our platforms to exert a greater influence on policies that impact global health. We are a larger, better educated workforce. We have increased our numbers and visibility in key leadership positions and expanded our scope of practice nationally and internationally. We are widely recognized for our contributions to improving health and well-being for all, though there’s still much work to be done. By identifying and responding to inequalities in healthcare through both practice and advocacy, nurses contribute to SDG attainment and to a society of inclusion and health equity for all.
Past and present members of the Sigma United Nations team contributing to this article include:
Janice E. Hawkins, PhD, RN, is a Clinical Associate Professor at Old Dominion University School of Nursing in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, and is a retired Army nurse. In addition to being a Sigma UN Liaison, she is a member of Sigma’s Epsilon Chi Chapter at Old Dominion University.
Aric Shimek, BSN, RN, CCRN, CPN, is a Registered Nurse at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, USA. In addition to being a Sigma UN Liaison, he is a member of Sigma’s Psi Lambda Chapter.
Valerie Clary-Muronda, PhD, RNC-OB, is a Nursing Instructor at Thomas Jefferson University in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA. She is a former Sigma UN Liaison and a member of Sigma’s Delta Rho Chapter.
Pennie Sessler Branden, PhD, FACNM, CNM, CNE, RN, FACNM, is an Adjunct Professor and Consultant at the Phillips School of Nursing at MSBI in New York, New York, USA. She is a former Sigma UN Liaison and a member of Sigma’s Alpha Beta Mu Chapter.
Dania Itani Mousa, BSN, RN, CMSRN, is an early career nurse in Los Angeles, California, USA, and a DNP-FNP candidate and clinical instructor at Loma Linda University. In addition to being a UN Youth Representative for Sigma, she is a member of Sigma’s Iota Eta Chapter and Gamma Alpha Chapter.