Social Nursing: A conceptual reflection

Abstract

This article offers a conceptual reflection on social nursing, aiming to explore its foundations, define its main dimensions, and understand what sets it apart from other areas of the discipline, particularly community nursing. Based on a qualitative documentary review that included academic, institutional, and professional sources, the analysis combined conceptual mapping and interpretive hermeneutics, supported using generative artificial intelligence to identify recurring thematic patterns and critically organize key content. The findings allowed us to identify six core dimensions of social nursing: an ethical-political foundation grounded in equity and human rights; a focus on the social determinants of health; intervention in non-conventional settings; work with populations in situations of vulnerability; the development of clinical, social, and cultural competencies; and a differentiated relationship with community nursing. Through these elements, the article argues that social nursing is not merely a variation of community nursing, but a distinct form of professional practice committed to social justice—one that acts on the margins of the system and defends the right to dignified and equitable care for all, especially those facing greater socio-health vulnerability.