Empowerment and Australian community health nurses' work with aboriginal clients: The sociopolitical context

A portion of a study designed to explore community health nurses' (CHNs) pe rceptions of the concept of empowerment in their work with Australian Abori ginal clients is discussed in this article. The 12 study participants were identified through purposive convenience sampling. During this exploration, contentions regarding the concept of empowerment emerged, revealing the so ciopolitical context of CHNs' work with Aboriginal people that shaped their practice in crucial ways. These issues emerged from the participants' disc ussions regarding the meaning of empowerment in their work with Aboriginal clients and the strategies for and challenges to working in empowering ways within the context of Aboriginal health. Selected components of Habermas's works provided a useful framework to facilitate an understanding of the fo rces that underpin community health nursing practice.