Particular Challenges for Aboriginal Nurses and Communities: The significant population of Canadian remote areas is made up of Aboriginal people who are less educated. This issue is relevant because it will assist in reforming the nursing system to train more Aboriginal nurses.
Nursing Shortage: Insufficient nursing staff is a problem in many health facilities worldwide and has also had a significant effect on the quality of care delivered to the aging Canadian populace residing in the remote areas. This will help the medical management in balancing the doctor to patient ratio.
Discussion of the Rural Nursing Issues and Challenges
Rural and remote areas remain problematic regions regarding the recruitment and retention of nurses compared to
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A significant amount of medical practitioners are opting into the area of nursing with a bachelor’s degree nursing, with the figure to as high as 10 percent in over a decade. Due to innovation and other changes in the economy, nurses, and other medical providers have found relevance in advancing in their studies in order to have a voice in reforms. According to the study published by MacLeod, Brown and Leipart, it proved that that rural nurses work within the liberal and creative scope, (Canadian Association of Rural and Remote Nurses, 2005). They alleged that remote and rural nurses who operate without proper knowledge require ultimate diversity and broad familiarity with health practices and procedures. Unfortunately, the demand for diverse and extensive knowledge is hindered by professional isolation, which a huge impediment to relevant learning. The poor education among the rural dwellers inhibits communication during service …show more content…
While delivering health care services, nurses usually engage peacefully and collaboratively with the local community, (CARRN, 2005). Recent research shows that the rural nursing practice in Aboriginal communities in affected by the current and projected insufficiency of nursing staff since because the Aboriginal practice is remote and covers the whole of Canada. However, it is noted that this challenge is influenced by the decision to educate Aboriginal Canadian nurses. The Aboriginal nurses acquire nursing educational services through the support of the integration of traditional healing mechanisms and the transmission of health care services to tribal
...fficient training for health workers, communication barriers, a general mistrust in the health care system and culture shock has contributed to issues in delivering services to many Indigenous communities. The reason to why these issues have emerged is a result of two main factors, the lack of health services that are needed to address the issue and the silence of Indigenous communities which leads to misunderstanding between the government and Indigenous communities. Indigenous Australian’s experience this major disadvantage and neglect in the Australian society due to the poor healthcare system and policies that haven’t had a positive effect on the issue. For the issue of Indigenous health to be resolved, the Government and social policies need to address and meet the need of Indigenous people to overcome the poor health conditions that these communities suffer.
The role of nurse practitioner in the Canadian healthcare system is relatively new compared to the traditional roles of doctors and registered nurses, and as with any new role, there are people who oppose the changes and others who appreciate them. Some members of the public and the healthcare system believe that the addition of the nurse practitioner (NP) role is an unnecessary change and liability to the system because it blurs the line between a doctor and a nurse; this is because nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional training (usually a masters degree) that allows them to expand their scope of practice into some areas which can be treated by doctors. Other people feel that nurse practitioners can help provide additional primary care services, while bridging communication between nurses and doctors. There are always legitimate challenges to be overcome when changing a system as complicated as healthcare,
Aboriginal health is majorly determined by several social factors that are related to their cultural beliefs. Health professionals regularly find it difficult to provide health care to aboriginal people due to the cultural disparity that exists between the conventional and aboriginal cultures, predominantly with regard to systems of health belief (Carson, Dunbar, & Chenhall, 2007). The discrepancy between the aboriginal culture and typical Western customs seems to amplify the difficulties experienced in every cross-cultural setting of health service delivery (Selin & Shapiro, 2003). Most of the social determinants of the aboriginal health are due to their strict belief in superstition and divine intervention.
In Canada, access to health care is ‘universal’ to its citizens under the Canadian Health Care Act and this system is considered to the one of the best in the world (Laurel & Richard, 2002). Access to health care is assumed on the strong social value of equality and is defined as the distribution of services to all those in need and for the common good and health of all residents (Fierlbeck, 2011). Equitable access to health care does not mean that all citizens are subjected to receive the same number of services but rather that wherever the service is provided it is based on need. Therefore, not all Canadians have equal access to health services. The Aboriginal peoples in Canada in particular are a population that is overlooked and underserved
The class was provided with an opportunity to participate in a field study observing a registered nurse in a practical setting. The objective was to experience and gain knowledge of different settings and roles a registered nurse can practice in. During the field experience I observed a registered nurse, L. Judd, at Mount Royal University (MRU). L. Judd is currently the Chair of the Bachelor of Nursing program, and has been involved in nursing education at both MRU and McMaster University. In addition to her experience in curriculum development, L. Judd practiced in a clinical setting for ten years in intensive care and surgical units prior to her transition into a nurse educator role. Observations of L. Judd’s practice took place in a boardroom at MRU during an International Directors Working Group committee meeting. Faculty and students were working on establishing a philosophy statement regarding global health for future international education related opportunities. In attendance were six nursing faculty members, three students in the Bachelor of Nursing program and the Chair, L. Judd. Throughout the meeting I determined two domains of practice: education and administration, as well as three quality characteristics that L. Judd demonstrated as a professional and competent nurse: knowledge, leadership and collaboration which make great contribution to her impact on the health care system and the individuals she cares for.
There are significant health disparities that exist between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. Being an Indigenous Australian means the person is and identifies as an Indigenous Australian, acknowledges their Indigenous heritage and is accepted as such in the community they live in (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, 2010). Compared with Non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people die at much younger ages, have more disability and experience a reduced quality of life because of ill health. This difference in health status is why Indigenous Australians health is often described as “Third World health in a First World nation” (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall, & Bailie, 2007, p.xxi). Aboriginal health care in the present and future should encompass a holistic approach which includes social, emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing in order to be culturally suitable to improve Indigenous Health. There are three dimensions of health- physical, social and mental- that all interrelate to determine an individual’s overall health. If one of these dimensions is compromised, it affects how the other two dimensions function, and overall affects an individual’s health status. The social determinants of health are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age which includes education, economics, social gradient, stress, early life, social inclusion, employment, transport, food, and social supports (Gruis, 2014). The social determinants that are specifically negatively impacting on Indigenous Australians health include poverty, social class, racism, education, employment, country/land and housing (Isaacs, 2014). If these social determinants inequalities are remedied, Indigenous Australians will have the same opportunities as Non-Ind...
Mbemba, Gisèle, Gagnon, Marie-Pierre., Paré, Guy. & Côté, Jose (2013.) Interventions for supporting nurse retention in rural and remote areas: an umbrella review. Human resources for health. doi:10.1186/1478-4491-11-44. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3847170/pdf/1478-4491
Thank you for taking time to read my letter. As a nursing student of University of Technology Sydney, I studied contemporary indigenous subject this semester. In this letter I want to illustrate 3 main social determinants of health that impact indigenous Australian health which I found and analysed during my recently study. And also offer some suggestion that could help the government improve aboriginal Australian mental health conditions in the future.
Healthcare is a continuous emerging industry across the world. With our ever changing life styles and the increased levels of pollution across the world more and more people are suffering from various health issues. Nursing is an extremely diverse profession and among the highest educated with several levels ranging from a licensed practical nurse (LPN) to a registered nurse (RN) on up to a Doctorate in Nursing. Diane Viens (2003) states that ‘The NP is a critical member of the workforce to assume the leadership roles within practice, education, research, health systems, and health policy’.
Building the skills and qualifications of Indigenous Australians is critical and many programs have a training component for staff in addition to building education and employment pathways for Indigenous people. Recognise and build on the strengths of Indigenous culture, community and family. Encompassing the physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual needs of the community as a
The Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers (AHLO) provides cultural, emotional, and clinical support to Aboriginal patients and families. Their role is to provide cultural support and advocacy for Aboriginal patients to ensure that their safety and care is culturally appropriate. Whilst demonstrating acts of kindness and hostility, the patient’s needs are being met. AHLO is employed in hospitals so that Aboriginals have equitable access to health care services, which in turn can increase cultural awareness and sensitivity of health care services to Aboriginal families. It ensures that Aboriginal individuals and families receive culturally appropriate information in order for patients and families to understand medical procedures.
The Provincial Health Service Authority (PHSA) indicate that assuming opportunities to incorporate strategies to reduce health inequities in health program and service planning is vital for health program and service managers and workers (PHSA, 2011). The Guiding Framework (2013) attempts to “address conditions that create inequity, barriers to access and gaps in service; consider the specific needs of vulnerable or disadvantaged populations” (p. 13). The goals and objectives established in the framework reflect a sound approach to reducing health inequities. For example, the framework indicates that a First Nations lens will be applied in implementing and evaluating all objectives to ensure meaningful inclusion of and benefit to BC First Nations and Aboriginal peoples. As the framework aims to improve maternal health in remote and rural areas via improving access to perinatal services and resources. However, while the framework provides an overall equity direction, it does not embody other targeted objectives aimed at improving health outcomes of some specific marginalized and vulnerable populations, which as discussed later are important alongside universal approaches. For example, within the positive mental and prevention of substance harms goal, the document fails to discusses and address the unequal mental health outcomes those living in poverty and incarceration can
Education of other cultures prepares nurses to provide and promote culturally congruent care. Nurses are life-long learners and continuing education is of utmost importance. Continuing education provides opportunities for nurses to gain an understanding of health care practices, cultural beliefs, and values to deliver optimum culturally competent care. Lastly, knowledge and skills are essential for assuring culturally congruent care is being practiced proficiently within the scope of practice (Douglas et al,
With this new affiliation, I may be taking care of traditional Native American in the near future. Native Americans believe in respecting elders, using active listening, and that autonomy is extremely important. They believe in a universal energy and spiritual balance. Illness occurs if there is a disruption in that balance. The nurse should always discuss cultural needs with every patient and that a medicine man may be requested or seen along with their health care provider. Death is viewed as a natural part of the lifecycle because things only live for a certain amount of time. In order to deliver culturally competent care, nurses must understand and respect cultural differences. As nurses, we cannot let our beliefs and values affect how we treat others. We should strive to deliver culturally competent care to all of our
Current trend of nurse migration is from the developing and under developed countries of Asia and Africa to the industrialized and developed countries like U.S.A., Canada, Australia, and