mhnurse1Liberatory Nursing Care (LNC) is a philosophical framework for Nursing. LNC is informed by the philosophical works of Paulo Freire, Enrique Russell and others. It is the medium in which AdM (Anadialectial Materialism) flourishes.
Critical Awareness and Reflexivity
- Nurses learn to recognize how factors such as race, class, gender, and colonial histories affect a person’s care. This informs their interactions with people, ensuring that care is sensitive to the specific needs and contexts of individuals, particularly those from marginalized communities. Nurses engage in continuous reflection of their own biases and the power dynamics inherent in the health-care system.
Ethics of Liberation
- Nurses advocate for policies and practices that reduce health disparities and promote social justice. This involves ensuring equitable access to healthcare resources, challenging discriminatory practices, and supporting people in navigating complex healthcare systems. Nurses focus on humanization and challenging oppressive structures in health care that marginilise vulnerable people.
Dialogical Approach to Care
- Nurses practice active listening and involve people in decision-making processes about their care. This approach ensures care is not imposed upon them but is instead developed in partnership with them, respecting their autonomy and cultural backgrounds.
A Practice of Hope (Reflection and Action)
- Nurses engage in practices that not only treat illnesses but also educate and empower people to manage their health proactively or avoid ill-health altogether. This includes providing health education, supporting the setting and achieving health goals, and fostering a hopeful, positive outlook in people facing chronic or severe health conditions.
Cultural Humility and Decolonisation
- Nurses learn to recognize and respect diverse cultural practices and health beliefs. They work to incorporate others as partners to ensure that healthcare is culturally relevant and inclusive.
Solidarity and Advocacy
- Nurses actively take part in community outreach programs, advocate for health equity, and work to dismantle systemic barriers that prevent marginalized people from receiving quality care. This involves lobbying for policy changes, taking part in public health campaigns, and collaborating with other professionals to address social determinants of health.
Resilience and Empowerment
- Nurses support people in developing coping strategies, build support networks, and access resources that enhance their resilience. They also focus on their own resilience, keeping hope and commitment in their practice even in the face of systemic challenges.
Key texts:
Freire P. (1972), Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Penguin Books.
Freire P. (1997), Pedagogy of Hope: Reliving Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Continuum Publishing Company: New York.
Dussel E. (1998), Underside of Modernity: Apel, Ricouer, Rorty, Taylor and the Philosophy of Liberation, Humanity Books: New York.