Unmasking Fake News and Propaganda in the Healthcare System: Nurses Responsibility for Patients’ Safety

Abstract

Nursing practice in the 21st century is faced with a barrage of fake news and propaganda that makes it critical for nurses to have the necessary skills to identify truth and discern bias in the healthcare system. The ability to respond critically to fake news and propaganda is more than a safe-guarding tool for nurses. However, it is also a crucial democratic competence in its own right. Analytical and critical thinking, knowledge, and critical understanding of the world, including the role of language and communication, lie at the heart of nursing. Therefore, the nurses’ understanding of the nature and prevalence of propaganda, its seductions, aims, and consequences, and keeping critical thinking skills well-honed is vital in decreasing its influence in the healthcare settings and related harms, including lost opportunities to help patients.