Nursing and politics - Abigail Masterson

Many nurses are uncomfortable with politicsyet nursing in all aspects is heavily influenced by the political climate at local, national and international levels. Increasingly over the last 10 years nursing organisations have become aware of the need for nurses to become more politically aware, and on an international level, the ICN (International Council of Nurses) has made it a key objective to strengthen the political profile of its member organisations. In the UK this has been reflected in the inclusion of a politics module within the majority of degree and diploma courses at both pre and post-registration level. However, publications in this area have mostly been general political overviews of the health service and have not explored the political context and role of nursing.
The purpose of this book is to provide an introductory textbook of politics for nurses. It explains the political system in UK and Europe, showing how this impacts upon nursing, and explores how the key roles within the politicalsystem will stimulate awareness of how nursing can play a part in the political process.