Nurses as a social force

Nurses in every continent engage in social action. This, the author argues, has been a fact throughout the ages. The major social issues which contribute to health today are economic, energy, environmental and social welfare problems. Other major issues affecting health are population growth, poverty, education, clean water supply, and family planning. The author shows how individual nurses and nurses' associations can, and should, exercise their influence and power in promoting health at local, national and international levels, making primary health care a priority. By using their levers of power, together with technology and communications, nurses can help create a new world health order, the author concludes.