Challenges to Common Good: Indigenous Communities in Nursing Practice

This opinion editorial explores the challenges faced by nurses in indigenous communities concerning the realization of the common good. The author, a trained nurse, identifies issues such as inadequate awareness, lack of evidence-based practices, and societal ignorance as significant barriers. The article defines the common good, drawing on both local and global perspectives, and emphasizes the importance of solidarity and unity in healthcare. Challenges in local settings include conservative community views that hinder the adoption of new practices, and questions regarding the role of nurses in the society. Globally, the lack of common evidence-based practice is highlighted as a major issue, leading to mistrust and reluctance to engage with nursing services. The editorial uses references to support the arguments and emphasizes the need for nurses to address these challenges to improve healthcare outcomes for indigenous populations.

Running head: OPINION
Indigenous society challenges in relation to common good
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It is always very sad when a nurse is attending to members of a society but due to various
challenges the trained nurse cannot meet the goal of the service. The challenges are prevalent in
the indigenous society that prove to be a hindrance in the realization of the common good.
Whether local or international scenario as a trained nurse I have encountered and heard several
other nurses complaining of setbacks that hinder them from achieving the goal of the common
good. In this opinion editorial article, I will elaborate on the challenges in relation to improving
participation of the indigenous communities. Some of the setbacks I will emphasize on consist of
inadequate or lack of awareness, lack of common evidence based practice, lack of unity and the
society ignorance. The Roman Catholic define the idea of the common good as the total some of
the conditions that assist people in the society to achieve a common benefit in the society
according to Melé, (2017). Whether locally or internationally, for the members of the society to
realize common good people need to embrace the idea of solidarity, unity and a sense of care to
their neighbors. The above approach is mainly religious, however, when it comes to nursing area
the nurse might not apply the theological perspective of the idea. Sullivan, (2017) argued that the
role of nurses is to analyze the general concern in the society and address them with the aim of
improving the health status in the society. The nurses should ensure that they uphold the idea of
social integrity and individual’s dignity while addressing these issues. Some of the challenges in
the indigenous communities include:
Local challenges
One of the main challenges that face nurses in the realization of the common good in the local
setting is lack of the best techniques to use to apply while addressing the health issues in these
society. As a living example, I find these indigenous communities to be so conservative that they
are reluctant to buy new ideas of doing things. For example, nurse have the procedures of

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treating a wound which can be contrary to ideas of these people. When the community is much
conservative, the nurses cannot realize common good as many people oppose their ideas. When
only few people accept it means that the well-being of all is not achieved but few people are the
once benefiting. The second issue is the challenge or realizing the role nurse in the society. The
nurses come in the society with the aim of ensuring that everyone get a boost in the health status.
However, when a society questions the position of a nurse it turns down to be a challenge that
nurses cannot achieve a common good according to Russo, (2016). For example, there is need to
do immunization but the society ignore. Such approach become a threat to achieving common
good because these people will continue suffering from preventable illnesses as other embrace
and agree on the nursing services.
The global setting
The research I have done as a practicing nurse is that the local issue is relatively the same to
global issues. However, what brings a huge difference in this field of nursing globally is the
challenge of having a common evidence based practice. The challenging is threatening the
achievement of the common good in various ways. The first thing I have realized is that lack of
evidenced based practice make several members of the indigenous societies globally to boycott
the nursing services. As a training nurse, I realize that these people may be right to some extent.
The reason that makes them right is that, it is unfair if the patient ask the nurse point of reference
and the nurse fails to provide. One of the principle of the common good is the responsibility of
everyone for the common good. Lack of evidenced based practice may make the situation look
as if nurse do not care for other people. Azzopardi et al, (2018) said that these indigenous
societies have already been ignored with other people and they are sometimes hostile. It is may

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be a difficult process to follow since it requires seeking the good of other members of the
society.

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References
Azzopardi, P. S., Sawyer, S. M., Carlin, J. B., Degenhardt, L., Brown, N., Brown, A. D., & Patton, G. C.
(2018). Health and wellbeing of Indigenous adolescents in Australia: a systematic synthesis of
population data. The Lancet, 391(10122), 766-782.
Melé, D. (2017). Virtues, Values, and Principles in Catholic Social Teaching. Handbook of Virtue
Ethics in Business and Management, 153-164.
Russo, F. (2016). What is the CSR’s Focus in Healthcare?. Journal of Business Ethics, 134(2), 323-334.
Sullivan, S. C. (2017). Catholic Social Teaching: Principles and Applications.