Social justice advocacy in nursing: what is it? How do we get there?

Social justice advocacy is an expectation of all nurses as expressed in the professional codes that guide nursing practice. Nursing literature reflects this shift in the focus of nursing advocacy, providing insight into the potentials and challenges associated with nursing's evolution toward a broader social justice advocacy model. This article describes the concept of social justice advocacy as currently reflected in professional codes and nursing literature and contrasts this with the individual patient-nurse advocacy model, which continues to dominate in nursing practice today. Challenges associated with movement toward a social justice advocacy model and options for addressing these hurdles are also discussed.