Underlying this is the need for strengthened education and engagement in the academic research enterprise. All of these future directions depend on partnerships, and effective partnerships signal parity among partners. If nurses and midwives are to be true partners in public health, they must be seen as having high levels of responsibility and accountability for their own practice. Those who have traditionally controlled the work of nurses and midwives must engage in new ways of working as colleagues and collaborators. Perhaps some of the most significant partnerships relate to policy development.
Policy is probably the single most powerful determinant of health.
If policy is to be health promoting, the voices of health workers must be heard in the policy process. Nurses and midwives should be engaged both as individuals and in groups. The development of professional organizations aimed at enhancing the overall health of society is an important step in this direction. The first step is making the commitment to build an effective public health workforce-and utilizing nurses and midwives in this process. The second is engaging in real creativity, abandoning convention for at least a brief time and imagining together what might be possible.