Global Voyeurism or Sustainable Ethical Practice?

This is a conceptual article exploring global voyeurism and service, overlaying ethical considerations in service within the profession of forensic nursing. Key elements considered include examining and reflecting on personal motivations, benefits, and consequences of service when viewed through an ethical perspective. Through this article we seek to examine the relationships between poverty tourism and service, while better supporting individual forensic nurses in their quest to align their actions with the ethical and practice comportment standards within the profession of nursing service globally. We include definition of terms, including professional identity, ethics and social justice, poverty tourism and voyeurism, global and professional service, cultural humility, partnerships, and trusting relationships. We conclude with implications, and considerations for forensic nursing.

Health care for the homeless: a partnership between a city and a school of nursing.

Although there is extant research on the homeless, less is available suggesting an innovative community partnership such as Project HOPE. This partnership provided baccalaureate nursing students with greater understanding of underserved populations and health care delivery systems, and encouraged their future work with marginalized populations upon graduation. Students collected descriptive information on the homeless population. Correlations were found among site placement: age, clothing and supplies given, wound care, referrals given, assessments, and season of the year. Student evaluations revealed paradigm shifts in attitudes and inspired advocacy toward this population. Through the descriptive information and qualitative comments, we gained insight on demographics, conditions observed, and interventions offered, which provided direction for quality improvement in curriculum design for the Community Health Nursing course, direction for future student groups working in shelters and with street outreach workers, and information useful to strengthening partnerships with local organizations working with the homeless population.