Call for Papers

Disrupting the Status Quo: Nurses and Midwives Driving Equity in Healthcare

Deadline for submissions: Friday, 27 March 2026

Traditional healthcare systems are increasingly recognised as inadequate in addressing the complex and deeply rooted inequities that shape health outcomes. In this context, nurses and midwives are emerging not only as caregivers, but as powerful agents of equity-driven change. This special edition, Disrupting the Status Quo: Nurses and Midwives Driving Equity in Healthcare, explores how nurses and midwives are reshaping healthcare delivery, policy, and innovation with a focus on justice, inclusion, and community empowerment. It celebrates the courage, creativity, and leadership of nurses and midwives who are challenging the status quo and forging new paths toward a more equitable and effective healthcare future.

Nurses and midwives have long been at the heart of care, yet their full potential has often been constrained by hierarchical systems, rigid professional boundaries, and under-recognition of their contributions. Despite these limitations, nurses and midwives have consistently led with integrity and ingenuity. Today, they are at the forefront of healthcare transformation, pioneering models of care that centre on marginalised communities, driving health innovations that close access gaps, and advocating for policies that address the social and structural determinants of health. The 2025 revision of the International Council of Nurses’ definition places equity at the core of nursing, affirming the profession’s vital role in advancing fair and inclusive healthcare. This pivotal shift underscores the urgency of examining how nurses are uniquely positioned to lead efforts toward health equity and systemic transformation.

This disruption is not merely about clinical advancement; it is about redefining the role of the nurse/midwife as a catalyst for health equity. It recognises the critical importance of nurse and midwifery-led leadership, culturally responsive care, and the dismantling of exclusionary models that perpetuate disparities. Nurses and midwives are uniquely positioned to bridge gaps in care, amplify community voices, and co-design systems that are inclusive, sustainable, and justice oriented. However, the path to transformation is not without its challenges. Structural barriers, scope of practice limitations, workload, burnout and other issues continue disproportionately affect those working in under-resourced or underserved settings.

This special edition aims to illuminate the pivotal role of nurses and midwives as catalysts for equity driven transformation across the healthcare continuum. We invite contributions that explore how nurses/midwives are confronting and dismantling systemic inequities through innovative practices, critical inquiry, and visionary leadership. Submissions may include original research, philosophical and theoretical perspectives, case studies, and critical reviews that highlight the diverse ways in which nurses/midwives are advancing health justice and inclusive care. By showcasing the breadth and depth of nursing and midwifery innovation, this edition seeks to inspire dialogue, provoke thought, and spark action toward a more equitable healthcare system. Through this collection, we aim to elevate the narrative of the nurse/midwife as a change agent; One who not only delivers care but also reimagines and reconstructs systems to ensure fairness, dignity, and access for all.

We welcome submissions that critically examine how nurses/midwives are leading change through inclusive, justice-oriented models of care, leadership, and advocacy.

Topics of interest for this call for papers include but are not restricted to:

  • Equity-driven nursing/midwifery leadership: Nurses/midwifery leading change through the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative, inclusive care models that address health disparities and promote social justice.
  • Transforming care for marginalised populations: Nurse/midwifery-led models that center the needs of underserved communities and challenge inequitable care delivery systems.
  • Policy and legislative reform: Analyses of current or proposed policies that empower nurses/midwives to drive equity focused change, as well as visionary discussions on future policy directions.
  • Nurse/midwifery activism and advocacy: The role of nurses/midwives as advocates for structural change, including activism that addresses racism, colonialism, gender inequity, and other forms of oppression in healthcare.
  • Power and privilege in healthcare: Critical examinations of hierarchical structures and traditional power dynamics that limit nurses’ or midwives’ influence and perpetuate inequities in care.
  • Disrupting ineffective care models: Contributions that critique existing systems and propose nurse/midwifery-led innovations to improve equity across primary, acute, and aged care settings.
  • Philosophical and theoretical perspectives: Explorations of the sociopolitical and ethical dimensions of nursing/midwifery practice, particularly in relation to equity, justice, and systemic change.
  • Nursing/midwifery governance and representation: Investigations into how nursing/midwifery expertise is integrated (or excluded) in decision-making, and how governance structures can be reimagined to reflect equity principles.
  • Trust and relational care: The role of nurses/midwives in rebuilding trust in healthcare systems, particularly among communities historically marginalised or harmed by institutional practices.
  • Structural vulnerability and resilience: How nurses/midwives can recognise, respond to, and advocate for systems that support structurally vulnerable populations, including Indigenous peoples, refugees, LGBTQIA+ communities, and others facing compounded disadvantage.

Guest Editors:

Dr. Ken Hok Man
La Trobe University
School of Nursing Midwifery
Australia

Dr. Amy-Louise Byrne
CQUniversity
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences
Australia

Keywords: Nursing, Health Equity, Innovation, Disruption, Change agent, Advocate, Activist, Power, Reform

Submission Guidelines/Instructions:

  • Carefully follow the instructions for submission outlined in our Author Guidelines;
  • When your paper is ready, go to our manuscript submission site and select “Disrupting the Status Quo: Nurses and Midwives Driving Equity in Healthcare” from the dropdown menu;
  • Select the relevant article type and follow the steps required.

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with Nursing Open’s submission guidelines and will undergo a rigorous peer-review process. For more information, contact the Guest Editors or Editorial Office at [email protected].

Please note that this special issue is a participant in The Wiley Guest Editor Mentorship program. All papers submitted to special issues participating in this program, must meet the standards of the journal and so will undergo a rigorous and a consistent peer review process in accordance with the journal policy.

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