Ethics and Short-term Global Health Projects

Short-term experiences in global health have become increasingly popular for health care students, academic institutions, researchers, and a variety of health professionals including midwives and nurses. Student demand for global health education has resulted in a proliferation of experiences offered by organizations and education institutions. The current surge in short-term global health experiences has raised ethical questions regarding benefits and harms to both volunteers and host entities. While intending to do good, volunteer efforts may unintentionally cause harm to host organizations by planning projects without consideration for the local infrastructure, the community, and the health care staff. Although volunteer efforts aim to improve the health of a community, efforts may fail to address follow-up or may interfere with local health efforts. In some low-resource settings, dire health needs and lack of supervision may result in volunteers practicing beyond their professional scope.

The Code of Ethics for Nurses calls for collaborative actions that promote respect for persons and their cultures. Social justice, cultural humility, and the development of local partnerships provide an ethical foundation that encourages anti-colonial global health endeavors. Ethical health efforts include those that consider the volunteer’s impact on local health.

Recently published guidelines, competencies, and position statements have addressed ethical behaviors for short-term global health initiatives and the American Nurses Association is among them. The Code of Ethics for Nurses agrees with recent publications that give ethical guidance for short-term global projects. This presentation will elucidate ethical principles and highlight nursing practice that exemplifies ethical work.

Debra Penney
CNM, MS, MPH, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Utah

Biography

Debra Penney is a nurse-midwife and an Associate Clinical Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Utah. Before coming to Utah, she lived in the Middle East for a decade, trained primary health care workers and midwives, and upgraded health centers. Her interest in the cultural aspects of health care and health equity informs the courses she currently teaches in population health. Her research includes the interface between health providers and refugee experiences in the U.S. health system. In both the clinical and didactic settings, she has enjoyed helping students get a broader view of themselves and the world.

Phone: 801-582-2262
Email:debra.penney@nurs.utah.edu