Trust and Doubt in the Fight for Health

Course Description

Health outcomes for Americans are among the worst in developed countries, from maternal mortality to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more. Decades of scientific research show that these health outcomes are directly related to toxic exposures, environmental factors, and the social determinants of health—we know that tobacco causes cancer, air pollution cause asthma, opioid painkillers are addictive, and systemic racism causes health harm. This science should form the basis for robust regulatory protections and systemic change, yet corporations have cast doubt at every turn to undermine health and safety protections.

This class will explore the tactics that corporations have used to undermine science-based protections over the past century and how they are still being used today to undermine public health protections for patients. We will analyze how pivotal health standards have been won and saved patients’ lives. We will apply our analysis to current events, where we are facing attacks on our public health and safety protections for nurses and patients. As the most trusted profession, nurses have an essential role to play in the fight for the right to health and formulating powerful advocacy to win health protections for patients.