Chapters THE PARTNERSHIP APPROACH and the PARTICIPATORY ACTION METHODOLOGY: THE NURSING PERSPECTIVE A1·aceli S. Jvlaglaya HUMAN CARE AND NURSING PRACTICE Globally, tbc crilical role of the nurse has been enlrnnced by knnwledge development in nursing science nncl utilized by nurse practitioners in various health cnre settings. Humna response :md human-universe health process as pivota J concepts in n:ursing practice promote and sust:1i11 better options for health care or human en1·e, defined as recognizable and structured i11teraetion in human sodeties tlnongh which persons give and receive assistance with basic human needs, in. wellness and illness, across the life ::. l)nn before birth, throughout life and beyond death (Cody, 2006). With human response ns the focus of nursing practice, the nurse's main concern is the person's perspective of health. with e;;1ch human reality as the meaning of the situation. To elucidate. Parse (199;;) explai Jl S tbat qua[ity of life cannot be detennined by those not living the life: t Jrns t J1e person is the only Oile who can describe his or her quality of lifo. Tile person's perspective becomes the critical working arena for motivation to pro111ote, sustain or cbiinge any hnman reality, will J the 11w·se acting as transition pm:tner-cal alyst to provide technical, affective or instrumenta l support to facilitate creation of the human reality desired by t]1e person as client-partner (Maglaya, 1988). The n un;i ng perspective emphasizes partnership and the participatory approach in its practice methodology. The participatory pe,-spective is not a new concept especially in community healtll. In 19781 it was specified by v Vorld Health Organization as the critical element in primary health care (PHC) as n global call to achieve l1ea Jth for all by the year 2ooo_Primacy health care is defined as essential benlth c. irebased on practica l, scientifically sound and socia11y acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible lo individuals and families in the communjt y through their full participation and at a cost t J,at the conunuuity and countrv can afford to maintain al every stage of their development in the spirit self r:eliance ~d self-determination (WHO 1978). Three decades later, mnny developing countries are still ex--periencing a limited capacity of Lhc health care system to deliver outcomes with inadequate resources for the health sector nnrl geographical and !i Ocio-economic inequities. Social, cultural and political differences are sources of inequalities nmong groups, ci-eating biases and mies in institutions that favor more powerful and privileged groups. 111e striking 110 