AONL 2021 speaker outlines health equity roles for nurses

Nurses are key to identifying and addressing patients' social determinants of health, according to Julia Resnick, the American Hospital Association’s senior program manager of strategic initiatives. Speaking at AONL’s annual conference, Resnick described the powerful influence of social factors on health and the growing recognition of this reality among hospitals and health systems. Nurses can address patients’ social needs through screenings in health care settings and through engaging with people in community and public health settings, she said. They can also participate in cross-disciplinary, multi-sector and policy-related initiatives. Citing the recently released Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report, Resnick said, “Lucky for us, the National Academy of Medicine agrees with me that nurses have a really important role in improving health equity and addressing societal factors." (HealthLeaders Media article, 7/19/21)