Effect of poverty on eye health and implications for nursing practice
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence & Practice Previous     Next

Effect of poverty on eye health and implications for nursing practice

Swapna Williamson Associate professor, College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare, University of West London, England
Ramesh Seewoodhary Senior lecturer, ophthalmic and adult nursing, College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare, University of West London, England
Lavona Dampies Associate lecturer in ophthalmic nursing, College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare, University of West London, England, Ophthalmic theatre, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, England

Poverty is a global issue that affects the health and quality of life of millions of people. It predisposes people to many health conditions, including sight loss or blindness as a result of the immune system becoming compromised. Blindness is common in areas of the world where there is extreme poverty. In the UK, poverty has become a major social issue, contributing to many health problems, including eye conditions. These eye conditions can result in sight loss if they are not managed effectively. Psychosocial care is an essential aspect of patient care, because poverty and sight loss are interrelated. Healthcare practitioners have a significant role in the management and prevention of blindness. Blindness caused by poverty is largely preventable, and health promotion is an important strategy in care management.

Nursing Standard. 30, 50, 42-51. doi: 10.7748/ns.2016.e10014

Correspondence

swapna.williamson@uwl.ac.uk

Peer review

All articles are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 27 February 2015

Accepted: 26 October 2015

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more