Nurses often facilitate communication between
disciplines, clients, and health care providers.
Nurses speak the language of different health care
disciplines and bring a unique perspective to the
able when collaborating with other members of the
health care team. Nursing can emerge as a leader in
he national stigma initiatives by facilitating
dialogue between groups and disciplines for a
unified effort in stigma reduction. A starting point is
ocal entry into national organizations such as
NAMI. Involvement in antistigma organizations is
mportant, and nurses must use their skills in mass
approaches for stigma reduction.
On an individual level, nurses can advocate for
clients by policing the health care system for
tigmatizing attitudes. This includes careful atten-
ion to use of language, discriminating behaviors,
and advocating for clients who do not receive the
ull scope of treatment. Advanced practice nurses
may lead stigma-reduction efforts by investigating
tigma. Moreover, developing, evaluating, and
mplementing stigma-reducing interventions are
urgently needed.