Health Care Disparities: Nurses Need to Care

In this essay, the author

• Explains that the united states government spent 2.3 billion dollars on federally funded healthcare initiatives and programs in 2010, but health care disparities continue to plague disadvantaged populations.
• Explains that health disparities affect racial and ethnic minorities, low-income groups, women, children, older adults, residents of rural areas, and individuals with disabilities and special care needs.
• Explains that preventive care is a cost-effective way to reduce the prevalence of deteriorating health for any population. groups experiencing health disparities have difficulties accessing preventative services.
• Explains that the state of maine is not a very diverse group of people, but health disparities continue to be present. the maliseet, micmac, passamaquoddy, and penobscot are recognized native american tribes.
• Explains that native americans in maine live in every maine county, but populations are concentrated in the rural communities of indian island, pleasant point, indian township, houlton, and presque isle, all of which include reservations.
• Explains that tribal health centers have been established to provide for the health needs of native americans and combat health disparities.
• Explains that only one in five native americans have health insurance which leaves the tribe responsible for providing money for necessary care. funding for individual tribes is provided as a flat fee, but competition for grants causes supplemental funding to be unstable.
• Explains that barriers to health, whether believed or actual, can have an adverse effect on psychological and physical health. native americans in maine report barriers of transportation, low income, racism, health care personnel shortages, inaccessible and culturally inappropriate mental health and addiction facilities, and environmental toxins.
• Defines social justice as the extent society guarantees that benefits and burdens are distributed among its members in ways that are fair and just. when specific groups of people do not receive necessary health care services a health disparity develops.
• Explains that nurses are obligated to fulfill socially responsible roles, such as addressing health disparities, and providing and advocating for culturally competent health care.
• Explains that kleinman's explanatory model can be used as an assessment tool to assist health care providers in understanding how to help populations with health disparities.
• Explains the role of a long-term care nurse in facilitating health seeking behavior for native american clients. they advocate for staff education and the use of evidence-based assessment tools to facilitate culturally competent care.
• Explains that the united states is spending huge amounts of money to improve health care without a significant impact on health disparities.
• Opines that barriers to health care can be reduced when nurses uphold their obligation to advocate for social justice for vulnerable populations. nurses can incorporate culturally competent care into everyday practice to decrease health disparities.
• Cites the american nurses association, initials, boyle, and guido on transcultural concepts in nursing care.
• Cites the national institutes of health, national cancer institute. health disparities defined washington, dc: u.s. government printing office.