Bolton: Nurses can be powerful advocates for health equity

At an online meeting, The Future of Nursing: Passion, Purpose and Progress, an international group of more than 1,200 nurses and nurse champions gathered to consider nursing’s future. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Chief Executive Officer Richard Besser, MD, and Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, senior vice president and chief health equity officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and AONL past president, discussed the health inequities brought to light by COVID-19. Besser emphasized the role of nurses “as leading researchers and voices” who can come to the table and work toward a more just future. Bolton agreed, adding the need to reimagine nursing programs and educate students where people live and work, exposing them to the diverse populations they will serve. (Campaign for Action article, 3/15/21)