Stigma In Nursing Essay

Effects of health professionals stigmatising marginalised groups
Stigma is a stamp of scorn that divides a group from society (WHO, 2013). Stigma can lead to negative attitudes and beliefs, which in turn can lead to the way in which stigmatised individuals or groups are treated. This is discrimination, which is defined as unfairly treating people and is a human rights issue (WHO,2013). The attitudes of nurses and other health professionals towards patients can be a major barrier to healthcare literacy (Ka Ku & Ha, 2015, p.45). Nurses also have the capacity to be instigators of change. It has been reported that nurse led primary care clinics are a highly successful care model (Howe,2016, p.18).
Stigma creates a barrier to effective communication.

An excellent example is the Breast screen initiative, a national campaign supported by federal, state and territory governments. It invites women aged 50 to 74 to undertake a free mammogram every 2 year, with the aim of early detection (Australian Department of health, 2015). Early detection is a key factor in surviving breast cancer (Cancer Australia, 2015). It is noteworthy that only 14% of women with an intellectual disability utilise this service compared to 71% without, highlighting the need for better promotion to this cohort (Victoria Health, 2013). An example of a health promotion would be the Health star rating system commenced in 2014, which aims to tackle obesity and diet related ill health, by providing easily understood nutrition information (Commonwealth of Australia, 2017). This is a method that has taken the health literacy rates of the general population into consideration. These are promoted across traditional media outlets, social media and health information pamphlets available in health care facilities. Government leads the way in health care promotion in Australia, with imbedding of policy, collaboration with all players and promotion campaigns. These are all are crucial elements in the promotion of health literacy in the

Individual capacity, societal factors and organisational factors are all key barriers to accessing health literacy for marginalised groups. Marginalised groups are often stigmatised, and as reported, this is especially detrimental when perpetuated by health professionals. Health professionals, have a responsibility to practice person centred care and by stigmatising patients they are failing to achieve a basic requirement of their professional standards. Furthermore, this stigmatisation results lack of communication due to fear of judgement. Avoiding treatment and the impact on the persons self-esteem and mental health are other factors associated with health professional’s discriminating against these marginalised groups. Lastly the Australian government plays a vital role in the promotion of health literacy, providing policy, embedding into health care systems, and the subsequent education of health care professionals and providing of health promotion information to the public. The focus on collaboration among all parties is critical in health promotion in Australia; especially for those that are marginalised in