The major concepts within term community activism include social justice, consciousness-raising, praxis, critical reflection, and empowerment. Social justice attributes to the ultimate human rights and collective impartiality (DeAnne, Hilfinger, & Estrada, 2016). The society in a marginalized can demand fair and culturally suitable health services through community activism. Consciousness-raising, critical reflection and praxis are connected to the relationship between neighboring population tribulations such as political processes, which are associated with the alteration of inequality. Empowerment refers to a multilevel construct and results of social action where such groups as families and communities have control of the social, economic, and political contexts (DeAnne, Hilfinger, & Estrada, 2016). An illustration of empowerment includes collective empowerment in a family as they seek to improve the skills of a community member, which is necessary to maintain the quality of community life.

Advanced practice nurses can take part in community activism in several ways to eliminate additional negative health effects from Big Tobacco in the community. Among these approaches of engagement, include taking part, at a personal level, in educating the populace on the effects of tobacco use and exposure to the smoke. Academic institutions often lack a sufficient number of nurses who are responsible for the students’ health. The nurses can attend school board meetings to discuss the negative effects of tobacco among the students and the need for having more nurses to control the health status of the students. Secondly, the advanced nurses can support some of the policy strategies such as promoting smoke-free workplaces and extending the availability of the tobacco cessation resource (Maryland & Gonzalez, 2012). The nurses can point out how the quality of the services can be improved with an increased number of new cessation resources. The nurses can add voice to the national tobacco control efforts such as demanding for an increase in tax campaigns and advance World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco (WHO FCTC) (Maryland & Gonzalez, 2012). They can also become role models to other expert groups.

References

DeAnne, K., Hilfinger, M., & Estrada, D. R. (2016). An introduction to community Activism. Chapter 82. In Policy and politics: Nursing and Health Care. (7th Ed). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier, Saunders.

Maryland, M., Gonzalez, R., (January 31, 2012) “Patient Advocacy in the Community and Legislative Arenas” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 17, No. 1, Manuscript 2. Retrieved from http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-17-2012/No1-Jan-2012/Advocacy-in-Community-and-Legislative-Arena.html

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            Community activism for advanced nurse practitioners is a crucial complement to nursing practice because nurses are in a unique position to not only provide bedside care but also to advocate for change within the community at large. Preparing professional nurses for community-based practice involving community activism and civic engagement requires developing and sustaining a philosophy that supports service learning and community partnerships (Mason, Gardner, Outlaw, Freida & O’Grady, 2016). The concepts of service, community, collaboration, empowerment, and activism are essential foundations.

            Community activism relating to the negative impacts of tobacco use are ideas inherent in educationally preparing nurses to meet the healthcare needs of individuals and communities (Stephens, 2015). Many nursing students, however, seem either intimidated by or uninterested in the community aspect of professional nursing practice. There are however, educational strategy embedded in master prepared nursing student that involves an account of how to make the best of community engagement to combat big tobacco industries.  For example, talk at local schools and educate young minds about the dangers of tobacco use.

References

Mason, J., D., Gardner, B, D., Outlaw, H., Freida, O’Grady, T., E. (2016). Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 7th Edition.

Stephens, B. (2015). Perspectives on Advanced Practice Registered Nursing and Community Activism. Retrieved from https://www.georgiawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/APRN01072015WEB.pdf