Nursing, disasters, and inequity: Reframing grief as a social justice issue
Disaster-associated grief extends beyond bereavement and includes displacement, disrupted care, moral injury, and prolonged uncertainty. These cascading consequences affect survivors, communities, and nurses who remain embedded in communities throughout recovery. This article frames post-disaster grief as a social justice issue, shaped by cultural norms, institutional responses, and structural inequities that influence whose suffering is recognized and supported. Using a social justice lens, this article outlines nursing roles in advocacy, workforce support, and equitable access to psychosocial services, arguing that centering grief in disaster nursing is essential for ethical care, community recovery, and workforce sustainability.
Institutions
- University of Michigan (US)
- Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (IN)
- Kitasato University Hospital (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Health Emergency and Disaster Nursing
- Published
- 2026-03-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.24298/hedn.2026-sp04
- Primary Topic
- Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00