An ecofeminist analysis of nursing knowledge

The planet is facing ecological disaster, yet the environmental domain of nursing is currently understood as the immediate surroundings or circumstances of the individual or family. Such a definition keeps nurses from addressing the larger social, political, economic, and global issues that affect health. The author suggests that nursing, essentially a women's profession, and the environment share a long history of domination and oppression; and that an ecofeminist perspective offers a conceptual foundation for developing a new consciousness of the environment with the potential for liberating both.