- Tailored to your requirements
- Deadlines from 3 hours
- Easy Refund Policy
The unjust and preventable disparities in health status or the allocation of healthcare resources among communities can be identified as health inequalities. Unfair systemic disparities or health inequities result from changing policies and systems. Prejudice, unjust treatment related to identity, and inequality are common causes of health disparities. According to research by Rosa et al. (2021), because they are aware of the many different elements that affect people’s quality and length of life, nurses may significantly contribute to tackling the root causes of ill health. By taking on new responsibilities, working in novel environments, and significantly increasing their efforts to collaborate with communities and other disciplines, nurses can drastically alter the worldwide landscape of health justice (Rosa et al., 2021). Social equality and public health activism have a strong foundation in nursing history. The ANA (American Nurses Association) has reaffirmed the Code of Ethics for Nurses using commentary, which requires nurse practitioners to be allies, advocates, and speakers against racism, prejudice, and injustice (Moore & Drake, 2021). Even if discriminatory behaviors and societal determinants lead to health disparities, nurses may greatly enhance equitable health care and accomplish social justice by promoting policies and implementing personal and community-focused initiatives.
How the Social Determinants of Health Relate to Health Inequalities
Lack of accessibility to healthcare is not always a common source of medical problems. Instead, circumstances that arise during a person’s life subject them to potential danger factors and impact their behavior. Policies that consider these circumstances have to directly tackle these circumstances to address the core of the issue. Rosa et al. (2021) state that the primary causes of health disparities in society are the SDH (social determinants of health), non-medical variables affecting a person’s health. These include the environments in which individuals are born, develop, work, and reside, as well as the larger range of systems and factors that shape day-to-day living circumstances (Rosa et al., 2021). The fundamental causes of these disparities are multifaceted, intricate, and interconnected, including things like ideologies, national origin, race, sexual orientation, social strata, physical capabilities, and spiritual beliefs, in addition to things like financial status, schooling, and job status (Lathrop, 2020; Rosa et al., 2021). According to Lathrop (2020), socioeconomic position is a significant determinant of health disparities, and intervention must be undertaken both domestically and internationally, inside and outside the healthcare industry. Therefore, not only are those who struggle economically and socially prone to have worse health outcomes, but they are also more susceptible to encountering several obstacles to receiving treatment. Therefore, socioeconomic position affects every accessibility element, including the capacity to recognize the need to seek treatment, obtain services, and actively participate in it. For this reason, it is important to comprehend nursing professionals’ roles in each of these domains.
Put your paper in expert hands
Get a custom essay written to your exact requirements – researched, structured, and delivered on time.
Write my essayMy Role as a Nursing Practitioner in Promoting Health Equity
Fighting for health equality in my practice and the community is a great opportunity as a nurse practitioner (NP). Patient-centered healthcare is the first step of a multifaceted strategy that is needed for this. My approach may be customized to suit every patient’s specific history by thoroughly grasping the SDH. This can make it essential to obtain a thorough medical history and provide culturally competent care. Establishing trust by being straightforward in communication, honoring patients' dialects and ideologies, and providing educational resources in the dialects they choose may enable them to take an active role in their medical journey (Lathrop, 2020). In addition, I can close the accessibility barrier by utilizing technology and forming reliable connections with the community. Rosa et al. (2021) state that telemedicine-based technology can be a lifesaver for follow-up interactions or consultations, especially for geographically remote patients with mobility challenges. The flexible schedule might include Nights and weekends to accommodate working people. Working together with neighborhood groups that support marginalized populations is also essential. A more egalitarian healthcare environment can be achieved by scheduling health fairs and workshops in easily accessible areas, providing preventive examinations, and making social service connections available.
Advocacy is necessary for real change. I can utilize data as a valuable tool by examining patient data to find differences in care or medical outcomes depending on characteristics like ethnic background, race, or socioeconomic standing. I can support policy reforms in the medical sector because of this knowledge. This aspect might entail advocating for greater financing for community health programs or insurance packages to cover more preventative care. Training and mentoring are equally vital. We can bring about lasting shifts in the medical sector by teaching patients and fellow nurses about implicit bias and its potential effects on care delivery, and by providing mentorship to aspiring nurse practitioners and other healthcare workers. Essentially, creating a healthcare setting that is accessible and culturally aware is necessary to advance health equity. By tackling the societal determinants that impact health outcomes, I may strive towards a more healthful community where all individuals can prosper.
My Standpoint in Prioritizing Health Equity-Related Activities within the U.S., Worldwide, and Striking a Balance
Immediate attention is needed to ensure health equity, whereby all individuals can reach their utmost degree of health. Despite its improvements, the U.S. medical system still fails many people. Rosa et al. (2021) have highlighted discrepancies in access to quality treatment, preventive measures, and healthy living conditions for low-income groups, ethnic minorities, and rural populations. To prioritize equitable health care in the U.S., these inequalities must be eliminated. This strategy might involve funding community-based healthcare programs, addressing socioeconomic determinants for wellness, including food insecurity and impoverishment, and increasing access to modest health insurance (Moore & Drake, 2021; Rosa et al., 2021). Health disparities are a global problem. Millions do not have access to sanitary facilities, potable water, or fundamental medical care (Moore & Drake, 2021). As Moore & Drake (2021) point out, infectious illnesses are rife in some areas. To prioritize global health equity, international collaboration is required to address the effects of global warming on health, support disease monitoring and preventive initiatives, and improve medical facilities in impoverished nations. Even with global improvements in healthcare, there are still many and growing health inequalities within and across countries. Ensuring that no one encounters economic-related and discriminatory barriers to obtaining essential high-quality medical treatment is the aim of UHC (universal health coverage) (Rosa et al., 2021). Furthermore, as per a study by Rosa et al. (2021), it can enable the most needy individuals to benefit first if well-constructed. Therefore, inadequate health systems make health disparities worse. Promoting the realization of UHC will result in the development of highly effective, equitable, inclusive, and exceptional healthcare systems that support societal resilience, equality, and cohesiveness. To effectively attain UHC, nations must address the social determinants of medical care and transcend hurdles that are determined by society, such as racial and sexual prejudice.
The agenda for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) makes healthy living and good health an obligation in and of itself since it connects the SDH to every aspect of society. Rosa et al. (2021) contend that the SDGs provide a framework for achieving health in every policy. Furthermore, achieving UHC, social equity, and fairness is morally required, as implied by the SDG agenda’s overall concept of leaving nobody behind (Rosa et al., 2021). Therefore, the knowledge that everyone has a basic right to healthcare is the foundation for the necessity of reducing health disparities. Human rights-based approaches must address equity in society, health equality, and the SDH to strike a balance.
Striking the Balance
While the demands of the United States and the rest of the world are urgent, a critical balance must be struck. Increasing U.S. health equity makes people more resilient and prepared to support international initiatives. On the other hand, ignoring global health concerns can foster instability, which might affect the U.S. through extensive immigration or epidemics of transmissible diseases. The U.S. has the technological and medical know-how to create accessible, low-cost medical equipment and therapies that can be used anywhere globally. Public-private collaborations between American institutions and international bodies can also quicken development. The U.S. should also prioritize sustainability by funding infrastructure and training for workers in developing countries to guarantee sustainable solutions in the healthcare sector. Most importantly, continuous monitoring of health equity metrics at the local, national, and global levels can help identify gaps and inform resource allocation through data-driven decision-making. Therefore, a world where all individuals have the chance to prosper may be achieved by putting U.S. health equality efforts ahead of global initiatives and pursuing a balanced strategy.
In conclusion, nurses occupy an exceptional position to promote equitable healthcare. Nurses may close gaps in accessibility and provide people with the tools they need to take control of their own medical conditions by being knowledgeable about the socioeconomic determinants of health and actively lobbying for legislative reforms. A multifaceted approach that puts culturally appropriate treatment, relationships within the community, and data-driven lobbying first is crucial, regardless of whether the main emphasis is on U.S. programs or international ones. In the end, achieving health equity requires a commitment to creating a just, easily accessible healthcare system that ensures all individuals the opportunity to realize their full health potential.
Offload drafts to field expert
Our writers can refine your work for better clarity, flow, and higher originality in 3+ hours.
Match with writerReferences
- Lathrop, B. (2020). Moving toward health equity by addressing Social Determinants of Health. Nursing for Women’s Health, 24(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2019.11.003
- Moore, S. S., & Drake, D. (2021). We are the solution to our problem: A brief review of the history of racism and nursing. Women’s Healthcare, 9(4), 34-39.
- Rosa, W. E., Hannaway, C. J., McArdle, C., McManus, M. F., Alharashsheh, S. T., & Marmot, M. (2021). Nurses for health equity: Guidelines for tackling the social determinants of health. World Innovation Summit for Health.
