Nursing, politics and policy: a response to Clifford

Political decisions and social policy initiatives have an impact on the practice of nursing and on the provision of health care. In this paper, we develop the argument that nurses, therefore, need to have political awareness. Developing a critical approach to politics and policy in nursing includes, first, developing an awareness of the range of structural and ideological factors underpinning the emergence of policies. This, we argue, is an essential backdrop to the analysis of the impact on nursing and health care of specific policy initiatives. To illustrate this approach, we present a brief analysis of health policy under the last government, and consider how this came to impact on nursing. We then go on to outline health policy emerging under the present government, and consider how this reflects a commitment to 'third way' politics. Having considered the possible impact of new health policy on nursing, we suggest, finally, approaches to the teaching of politics and policy in nurse education programmes.