Expanding Global Nursing Partnerships, Roles and Responsibilities through “Gracious Space"

Purpose: One of the main challenges to health, either nationally or globally, is access to health care services. Adequate access to health care is one determinant of health, however many people around the world lack access to adequate health care for many reasons, including limited economic resources and shortage of human resources for health care. It is essential that nurses who have historically been the sole health care professionals in areas where other health care workers feared to tread, rise up to the challenge and partner with each other at all levels across the globe to create a plan and develop a synergistic voice to increase health care access for all citizens of the world.

Methods: Although it seems to be an insurmountable task, gracious space principles can be used to strengthen collaboration and partnerships across borders. Gracious space raises individual thoughts to their consciousness so that individuals become more aware of their natural tendencies, and are alerted about the impact of their decisions. It teaches individuals to be intentionally compassionate in serving those who are less fortunate, with a strong desire to find solutions to problems. A gracious environment fosters courageous and honest conversation, which can support nurses to challenge the status quo with one voice regarding current inadequacies of global health, and encourage them to design improvements. Who else can take the lead in the current global environment, if not nurses?

Results: Nurses are dynamic thinkers and doers. They have interminably expanded their roles to meet the needs of patients, while empowering themselves through new knowledge and skills, and by taking on new responsibility with accountability.

Conclusion: To mitigate the challenges of globalization on health issues, nurses must partner together now, with the willingness to expand their roles and responsibilities under graciousness.