Community Nursing and Global Health

Nursing provides the largest direct care and health intervention workforce and as such is a global health resource. Examinations of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) have found that community nursing interventions directly address the identified themes related to gaps in healthcare, services, and system’s coverage and continue to support advancements in understanding the complexities of health for individuals, families, and communities. Additionally, nursing in and of itself addresses some global health goals through the provision of meaningful work for mostly women who are provided with income and career opportunities. Thus, nursing can assist in addressing inequities faced by populations with limited access to health and employment. This chapter outlines the role of community health nursing and how community nursing is used to address the global public health agenda. Community health is a nursing speciality that moves healthcare from the acute setting into the community-based health sector. These appropriate and cost-effective responses place community nursing at the forefront of responses to the global health Sustainable Development Goals. Globally, there is a need for more community nurses as they play a critical role in providing quality healthcare in the community. Community nurses enable the public to access best practice and evidence-based healthcare in their community in easy reach of the population. The research illustrated in this chapter uses community nursing services to directly address the global health agenda. Using examples from the Global North and South, the chapter provides evidence of the impact of community nursing on Global Health. The use of nurses in the community to advance health messaging and health access is foundational in addressing the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations.