People can feel trapped by internal as well as external factors. External situations are more visible: poverty, unemployment, racism, abusive relationships, violence, injustice….Internal factors can be just as compelling, but external factors are all calls to action for social justice. Select a current example of a population that is oppressed by life experiences or factors in the environment. Here are some populations from which to choose: .Teen girls captured for human trafficking in sex trade .Teen boys trapped by poverty in violent gangs .Children caught in abusive homes .Homeless schizophrenics .Elderly Alzheimer’s patients whose family financially exploits them .Wounded warriors suffering from PTSD
How can a nurse make sense of the travesty of oppression that causes so much human suffering? .What moral obligation do nurses have to prevent human entrapment rather than just caring for victims of violence? How could nurses advocate for an end to oppressive conditions such as poverty and racism? .When nurses observe an underserved population trapped by one or more of these external factors, what should be done? How should a nurse begin to mobilize awareness to address issues entrapping the population being served? .How does the Code guide the nurse in mobilizing forces to address this social issue? .If nurses ignore forces trapping the population they serve, what is the most likely set of outcomes five years from now?
