Transcendent pluralism and the influence of nursing testimony on environmental justice legislation

Policy Polit Nurs Pract. 2005 Feb;6(1):60-71. doi: 10.1177/1527154404272748.

Abstract

Environmental justice is an important issue affecting health disparities. Using the framework of transcendent pluralism, this article describes nursing actions and research in a legislative coalition for an environmental justice bill. Two descriptive studies are conducted: a focus group with six legislative aides and an evaluation of a nursing presentation given to 10 Massachusetts state legislators. Pretest and posttest results showed a small but significant increase in the legislators' disposition toward the bill; the mean score increased from 5.4 to 5.9 (p = .037). Legislators perceived nurses as lobbying more for nursing profession issues than general health issues (score of 6.3 vs. 4.6; p = .009). Guidelines for lobbying that emerged from the data are included. The author argues that nursing knowledge should play a vital role in public policy and that nurses need to broaden their efforts beyond professional issues to the larger issues that influence a healthy human society.

MeSH terms

  • Asthma / prevention & control
  • Environmental Health / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Female
  • Focus Groups
  • Humans
  • Lobbying*
  • Male
  • Massachusetts
  • Nursing*
  • Philosophy*
  • Social Justice / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • United States
  • Vulnerable Populations