Social justice: Passion and politics

Linda Olson Keller, MS, RN, CS, Center for Public Health Nurisng, Minnesota Department of Health, 121 East 7th Place, Suite 460, Box 64975, St Paul, MN 55164, 651-296-9176, linda.keller@health.state.mn.us

Public health nursing is grounded in the values of social justice, caring and compassion, sensitivity to diversity, and respect for the worth of all people, especially the vulnerable. This value has been exemplified throughout history in the practice of legendary public health nursing leaders such as Lillian Wald and Margaret Sanger. For most public health nurses, their passion and commitment to serve emanates from their belief that all persons are entitled equally to a basic quality of life. Public health nurses often encounter tension between this value for social justice and the market justice that dominates much of our society, and seek resolutions to this dilemma.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of the session participants will be able to

1. Identify public health nurse pioneers of social justice.
2. Describe the public health nursing cornerstone of social justice.
3. Compare and contrast the value structure of public health to that of market justice.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation

Speaking Truth to Power: Reclaiming PHN's Social Justice Role

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA