A Concept Analysis of the Social Responsibility of Nursing Organizations Based on Walker and Avant’s Method

Social responsibility has been a core value of the nursing profession, particularly in the area of health disparity. Nevertheless, it is unclear what is meant by social responsibility. This study examined ways to define the concept of the social responsibility of nursing organizations to understand the meaning of social responsibility in the nursing profession. Methods: The concept analysis process reported by Walker and Avant was used to clarify the meaning of social responsibility in nursing organizations. Results: Defining the attributes of the social responsibility of nursing organizations included accessing, educating, and practicing as approaches for strategizing the social and structural change in inequity, caring for oppressed groups suffering socially from those with privilege and power, and taking action for health policy changes in social and political unequal contexts. The antecedents of social responsibility in nursing organizations included recognizing personal characteristics, the perspective of vulnerable populations, and the social and environmental status quo, as well as educating public services on the ethical and moral reasoning of social issues. The consequences of the social responsibility of nursing organizations were achieving social justice as equal access to basic human health needed at a societal level, equal access to effective nursing practices, and the development of health promotion policies for world health administrative practices in nursing. Conclusion: This study provides guidance to direct future studies by identifying conceptual attributes in the context of the social responsibility of nursing organizations.