How can nursing address and improve global healthcare needs?

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Sep 12, 2007

Well, I'm not sure that nurses are able to work in ANY health care situation unless the proper training has been applied. But, we are able to call on other resources to complete care.

Now in a global situation, start at home, say in rural areas such as Kentucky or Mississipi, or even a native reservation, we can look at a patient, assess them and what their needs are. Someone in these areas have a lack of access to health care. So perhaps a newly diagnosed diabetic would require teaching from you and be given access to public resources for government assistance like food, money and living to name a few.

In a more global sense, the AIDS crisis is a good example. People need education about prevention. If they are already infected they need someone to administer medications, food and water, treatments for wounds, counseling on issues like rape, which all should be done to the entire family holistically or even whole villages.

Nurses are able to bring together resources to provide holistic health care to patients in any country provided we have translators or other tools to cross language barriers.

I hope I wasn't rambling too much and was able to help.

BBQvegan · Sep 12, 2007

Another consideration: Nursing education teaches us that a "client" can be an individual, a family, or even a community. It seems to me that we can use the Nursing Process to assess and intervene on a large scale where the need exists. We could look at the health issues of a particular population and coordinate with many entities, as TwinMom suggests, to solve big problems.

What a wonderful question for contemplation. Kudos to your school for asking nursing students to open their minds to the world outside our own.

IcanHealYou · Sep 12, 2007

Hmm thank you for the input but how can I defend the argument that doctors can do everything a nurse can besides hiring someone on a lower salary?

I guess nurses can help assess a situation and decide if there is a need for higher level help? Quoting twinmom.

Hm maybe im still confused.. Thank you in advance

BBQvegan · Sep 12, 2007

Huh? I don't understand your question. Who is hiring whom, and where and for what? When we talk about "collaboration" we mean doctors, nurses, researchers, government, reps from educational institutions, local leaders, businesses, citizens, etc. You cannot put the doctors in power and give them all authority, then expect to have a smooth problem-solving approach that meets the needs of many. "One" cannot decide for "all". And nurses are experts at "client management" and being a go-between for their care.

Does that help? If you can clarify your question, we may be able to offer further insight.

BTW, I am still a nursing student, but I feel I understand the concept of nursing pretty well, plus I have a previous degree in International Business and have traveled quite a bit. The area of global health is a big interest and passion of mine. Thanks for asking these questions because it forces me to think about some solutions.

IcanHealYou · Sep 12, 2007

I'm sort of embarrassed to say but how would you describe the nursing profession. Maybe my idea of nursing is wrong.

I believe nursing to be a profession where they are usually the first to see a patient and assess them for a doctor to continue further treatment. Is that what you mean by "Client management"?

I really need to get these concepts straight because I am writing my personal statement. This is something I really want to do and I don't want to look like a fool and not know anything about the profession I want to get into. It is getting really hard to self reflect and not sound cliche =/.

BBQvegan · Sep 13, 2007

Nurses do much more than be the initial face of health care. Nurses are there through the continuum of care. Doctors don't even get much one-on-one time with the patient. The main difference between nursing and medicine: Doctors treat diseases. Nurses treat patient responses to diseases.

Nurses manage the patient's care. They document and coordinate lots of things. A doctor may order medicines, tests, treatments. If it is a treatment a nurse can give, then the nurse gives it and follows up. If the doc orders respiratory treatment, the nurse might call RT for scheduling. The nurse needs to know what happens in that treatment, how the patient tolerated it, and what follow-up care might be necessary. If the pt needs a certain intervention that does not require a doctor's orders, the nurse can go ahead and use critical thinking and judgment to determine the best way to proceed.

Also, nurses write care plans and use nursing diagnoses. These are different from medical diagnoses. For example, a medical diagnosis might be "pneumonia" but a nursing diagnosis might be "Ineffective breathing pattern". The nurse will write a plan of care that lays out nursing interventions and goals for the patient. There is a lot to it, and you need to be in school to learn it all!

I can't really tell you in a few paragraphs what a nurse's job entails. And I doubt your school expects you to know all that! They are there to teach you stuff like that! I knew very very very little about nursing before I got into the program. Now I am wiser after only 1.5 semesters. You will find out.

Do a little bit of research and write your paper based on your views -- as a pre-nursing student. If you knew it all, there would be no reason for you to go to school. Good luck!