Determining if nurses are involved in political action or politics: A scoping literature review

Abstract

BackgroundThere is much current as well as long-standing concern that nurses need to be more involved in and also more adept at politics and political action for the advancement of the profession, and for the health and wellbeing of the public. ObjectivesAn historical scoping literature review was carried out to identify if, as well as why, when, and how nurses become involved in government or meso-level political action or politics, and what is or has been gained through this involvement. DesignScoping literature review. Settings (including geographical location)Worldwide published literature. ParticipantNil. MethodsResearch and non-research articles on the topic were identified in a decade-by-decade search of the CINAHL database, all relevant ones were retained, and the per-decade findings in them were compared over time. ResultsOnly 25 research reports, published 1988–2019, were identified. These studies were conducted in a few, mostly developed, countries. They provide a varied picture of nurse or nursing association involvement in political action and policy circles. In contrast, the opinion and theory articles demonstrate increased nurse and nursing association involvement in, as well as rising skill in political action and public policy engagement, although primarily in the United States and Canada. ConclusionsResearch and case reports are needed now in all countries to correct the view that nurses and nursing associations are apolitical, and to gain information on how and why nurses and nursing associations become politically active and also determine what is gained through this activity.