The Declaration of Independence affirms the right of all Americans to “life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Although universal healthcare is not outright mentioned as one of the “inalienable” rights the Declaration calls for, it is difficult to pursue happiness or to live life to the fullest without adequate health care. Furthermore, the Declaration underscores the importance of equality as an ethical value that defines the nation. If life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and equal rights are the foundational values of the country, then health care most certainly is a basic human right. Education is considered a basic human right, which is why all children in the nation are entitled to a K-12 education regardless of ability to pay. Why healthcare is not structured in the same way as education is perplexing in the world’s most robust economy.
Nurses understand the imperative of providing healthcare for the indigent; we are in fact ethically obliged to do so. The American Nurses Association (2016) stresses the role of the nurse as advocate for patients and communities. Nurses advocate for social justice and human rights, and provide care to all persons regardless of socioeconomic background. The ethical principles that undergird the nursing profession transcend the much pettier ethical norms that govern the free market.
As attractive as it might be to cling to the rights of insurers, pharmaceutical companies, physicians, equipment manufacturers, and all other financial stakeholders in the business of healthcare, nurses know that the right to earn profit is subordinate to the right of persons to access available healthcare services. In fact, the United Nations lists access to medical care as a basic human right (American Nurses Association, 2016). Americans do, however, grasp the way the free market does in fact bolster innovation and scientific progress. Shifting to a rights-based approach to healthcare will entail dramatic, paradigm shifting structural and legal changes that may take generations to manifest (Maruthappu, Ologunde & Gunarajasingam, 2013). Nurses can collaborate with industry stakeholders to come up with win-win solutions that enable profitability and innovation without suppressing the right to health care.
References
American Nurses Association (2016). The nurse’s role in ethics and human rights. Position Statement. https://www.nursingworld.org/~4af078/globalassets/docs/ana/ethics/ethics-and-human-rights-protecting-and-promoting-final-formatted-20161130.pdf
Maruthappu, M., Ologunde, R. & Gunarajasingam, A. (2013). Is health care a right? Annals of Medicine & Surgery 2(1): 15-17.
The Declaration of Independence. (1776). http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
