DQ: Identify a population that you will likely serve as an advanced registered nurse that you think is particularly vulnerable to issues of health disparities/inequity
NUR 513 Topic 3 Discussion 1
DQ: Identify a population that you will likely serve as an advanced registered nurse that you think is particularly vulnerable to issues of health disparities/inequity
As an informatics nurse, my target population would be pediatrics. Because they are unable to give consent on their own and are faced with situations beyond their control, children have been identified as a vulnerable population in our healthcare system (economic, financial, access to healthcare, abuse, exploitation, etc.). Lack of pediatric research is linked to an increased health risk because of the factors mentioned (Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 2016). Due to the legality of consent, the willingness to participate in research, and the cognitive capacity to recognize any perceived danger involved with the research, pediatric groups are understudied. Critical markers of how healthcare must change in terms of preventative interventions and education are health determinates and measures of health within a population (DeNisco & Barker, 2016). Due to this, it is essential to monitor the success of preventative health measures, initiatives, and education (DeNisco & Barker, 2016). An informatics nurse can make a substantial contribution to data quantification, technology advancement, and the provision of healthcare services (AMIA, 2020).
The United States continues to experience population expansion and growing diversity due to immigration in terms of diversity and the global outlook. I’m a Californian employee who primarily assists ethnic minorities of Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern descent.
DQ Choose a group that you believe is especially susceptible to health inequalities issues and that you will probably assist in your capacity as an advanced registered nurse. inequity
I’m confident that we have all encountered how this can erect obstacles to receiving medical treatment and how we provide nursing care. Minorities with low incomes and/or language problems frequently have reduced access to healthcare and worse health outcomes, as noted by DeNisco and Barker (2016, p.580). When dealing with the already vulnerable pediatric population, health inequities among minorities become a much bigger problem. We have made progress toward eliminating certain inequities in terms of health equity with initiatives like the Affordable Care Act, but regrettably we still have a long way to go. Western medicine places a lot of emphasis on the doctor-driven, diagnosis-driven style of care. However, as our country develops, it highlights the growing need for cultural awareness and competency as well as for treating patients holistically, taking into account their cultural and spiritual needs in addition to their diagnosis (Watson, 2008).
References
Association for American Medical Informatics (AMIA). (2020, April 14). COVID-19 and nursing informatics: Progress, Obstacles, and New Concepts Series of AMIA COVID-19 webinars. https://www.amia.org/sites/default/files/AMIA-COVID19-Webinar-Series-NIWG-ANI-Clinical-Informatics-3.pdf
S. M. DeNisco and A. M. Barker (2016).
Advanced practice nursing: information that is crucial to the field (3rd ed.). Learning from Jones & Bartlett.
Commission of the President to Study Bioethical Issues. (2016). vulnerable groups in protecting children: study on medical countermeasures in pediatrics. A copy of this document can be found at http://bioethicsarchive.georgetown.edu/pcsbi/sites/default/files/6%20Vulnerable%20Populations%20Safeguarding%20Children%20%202009.16.pdf.
J. Watson (2008).
Nursing: Caregiving as a philosophy and science (Rev. ed). Colorado University Press, Boulder, CO.
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Gina, you make some excellent points about how nurse informatics is used to manage pediatric care. Given that children are more susceptible to illnesses and other difficulties, it is always necessary to rely on the information from the past to start providing effective care (American Nurses Association, 2015). Additionally, there is always a need to support children in coping with situations beyond their control because they lack the capacity to give consent for the therapeutic procedures. Children frequently require high-quality care, which necessitates specialized interventions supported by research and evidence-based techniques. Because of their high-level technical jobs, informatics nurses can use data and technology to closely monitor the program and create patient care initiatives that will improve patients’ treatment and overall care (Grover, Sharma, & Mehra, 2020). Pediatric research is important, especially when it comes to improving primary care. The legality of permission and children’s limited cognitive capacity to understand any kind of perceived risk involved with the research methods, however, make it so that pediatric populations are understudied.
References
National Association of Nurses (2015). Standards of practice and the scope of nursing informatics. retrieved from: p=show detail&id=855&keywords=mtshohoe.edu.gh
S. Grover, N. Sharma, & A. Mehra (2020). Nursing Staff Stigma for Mental Disorders at a Tertiary Care Hospital Rural Practice Journal of Neurosciences, 11(2), 237–244. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1702916
Patients with mental health problems are the group most at risk for health inequities, thus this is where I’d like to concentrate my attention. It is my responsibility, as an advanced registered nurse who focuses on patient safety and healthcare quality, to address mental health issues connected to safety to the same extent as physical illnesses. Many people who suffer from mental illness choose not to seek treatment because they are afraid of being turned away. Stigma, discrimination, social prejudice, and neglect are among the many factors that affect people’s willingness to seek help. These characteristics are key barriers to mental health care and treatment (Grover, et al., 2020).
It is crucial to first eliminate the stigma associated with this demographic in order to address health promotion and illness prevention. Stigma towards people with mental illnesses not only comes from the general population but also from medical experts (Grover, et al., 2020). A homeless patient who routinely visited the hospital and requested sedatives to help him relax is one instance. Some staff members mistook this person for “drug-seeking,” when in actuality, he had anxiety disorder and PTSD as a result of a previous traumatic event. The majority of mental patients hold this notion. He should get the proper treatment he deserves so as to prevent the symptoms from getting worse. Health promotion techniques include including high-quality services like a medical screening evaluation completed by a skilled practitioner, educating him about his medical conditions, and prescribing medicines suitable for his symptoms and diagnosis. Screening for suicidal risk and offering resources for support groups are examples of prevention in this situation.
Because every person deserves high-quality medical care and treatment, health fairness should be a worldwide concern. There should be no tolerance for inequality notwithstanding differences in socioeconomic status, cultural background, religion, and race. Everybody has a fundamental right to good health and wellbeing. To achieve this, it is necessary to remove barriers to health like poverty and prejudice, as well as its effects, such as helplessness and a lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, adequate housing and education, safe settings, and health care (Braveman, et al., 2017).
References
P. Braveman (2017).
What is equity in health?
Foundation Robert Wood Johnson. https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2017/05/what-is-health-equity-.html
S. Grover, N. Sharma, & A. Mehra (2020). Nursing Staff Stigma for Mental Disorders at a Tertiary Care Hospital Rural Practice Journal of Neurosciences, 11(2), 237–244. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1702916
Maria, you make a wise observation; the healthcare systems are seeing more patients with mental diseases. One in five adults in the United States experiences mental health issues, meaning that about 43.8 million people are given this diagnosis each year (Hai et al., 2020). There are also major mental health issues that afflict one in every twenty-five persons in a single year. Additionally, a lot of people with mental illnesses put off getting help because they are afraid of being rejected. Advanced registered nurses are equipped with the research skills necessary to conduct evidence-based practice processes to find the most effective approaches for improving the management of patients with mental health issues. Additionally, advanced registered nurses have the power to lessen the stigma attached to mental health issues. Stigma towards people with mental illnesses not only comes from the general population but also from medical experts (Shim & Compton, 2018).