Practicum and Social Justice
Social justice is the concept of fairness in relations between individuals in society and the view that everyone deserves equal political, economic, and social rights and opportunities. Social justice ensures that every person has equal privileges in society. Social justice contributes to equity and fairness in society. According to Rudner (2021), social justice in nursing is a movement that encompasses the attempts to make health care services of good quality, accessible and affordable for all who need them.
Equity in healthcare entails equal access to care for equal needs, equal use for equal needs, and equal quality of care for all those who need it. All nurses are required to promote social justice and equity, maintain the appropriate standards of confidentiality and exercise fairness. This paper presents how social justice and equity were maintained during my practicum experience.
One thing that stood out in the practicum experience was my interaction with different health populations. I came to learn and acknowledge that different health populations have different needs. More so, there are minority health populations that have more healthcare needs compared to normal health populations. In their report, Bui, Wendt & Bakos (2019) notes that marginalized health populations are vulnerable to inequality in healthcare.
Minority health populations include the physically disabled, pregnant mothers, victims of violence and abuse, immigrants, the homeless, youths, and LGBTQ, among others. Most minority health populations may not access healthcare services appropriately, and thus the need for nurses to maintain fairness, social justice, and equity in service provision in the communities of practice.
Social justice and equity concepts were maintained in several ways. First, we were trained to be patient advocates. Since nurses have the closest contact with patients, we understand them better than other healthcare professionals. It is easier to understand different patient groups, backgrounds, and needs.
The training helped us appreciate that we should enhance social justice by providing the same quality of care for all patients regardless of their backgrounds. Our ethical responsibility is to provide efficient and compassionate medical care to all patients. It is also our obligation to consider the health needs of various health population groups and advocate for them to get the care they deserve.
Diverse care delivery models have been created to reduce care disparities across different health populations. Poverty, ethnicity, race, and age are categories that may contribute to inequalities in healthcare. Racial, ethnic, the elderly, and the poor are mostly socioeconomically deprived and may face healthcare inequalities.
My institution of practicum has put in place diverse medical facilities that ease care provision to these minority health populations. The institution has also created a culturally aware environment where staff members are from diverse backgrounds, hence reducing health disparities based on race and ethnicity.
The institution also maintains social justice and fairness by giving special consideration to underserved populations while budgeting. I had the privilege to participate in community health promotions and community clinics that aimed at reaching the underserved populations in the community who have difficulties accessing healthcare services from the institution.
Such initiatives are planned, funded, and steered by the management in conjunction with the nurses to ensure that social justice and fairness is maintained. Care provision to community members with various health needs has also been subsidized to increase healthcare access to underserved populations.
The other way in which the institution ensures social justice is maintained is by integrating hybrid care provision tactics. The institution uses virtual and in-person care provision tactics to ensure that patients who cannot physically visit the institution get care. Research shows that telehealth and telemedicine are some of the ways of bringing social justice to healthcare through virtual care (Gibson, Bardach & Pope, 2020).
The institution provides virtual clinical services through telemedicine. It also facilitates a store-and-forward medicine system that allows patients and primary care providers to communicate and share medical information online. Care providers also use the virtual system to facilitate follow-ups and remote monitoring, thus enhancing better health outcomes and care access to underserved populations after discharge.
Cultural competence is one of the nursing competencies recommended by the American Nurses Association. Cultural competence helps nurses offer the best service to their patients, enhancing patient satisfaction and better care outcomes. Cultural competence includes cultural knowledge, cultural skills, self-awareness, awareness of others, and an open attitude. Learning about multicultural care in the practice setting will prepare me for multicultural professional nursing practice environments in the future.
Nurses have a moral and ethical obligation to provide culturally competent care to all the patients they serve (De Castro et al., 2019). The demonstration of cultural congruence in nursing practice is a way of ensuring social justice, equity, and fairness are maintained. It also shows humility and inclusiveness in practice.
In conclusion, nurses are ethically obligated to provide leadership in culturally competent care across healthcare organizations. Cultural competence is one way of reducing healthcare disparities and preventing discriminatory practices. Nurses are at the frontline in leading other care professionals in cultural competence to ensure social justice, equity, and fairness in care provision across all health populations.
References
Bui, J., Wendt, M., & Bakos, A. (2019). Understanding and addressing health disparities and health needs of justice-involved populations. Public Health Reports, 134(1_suppl), 3S-7S. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0033354918813089
De Castro, A. B., Dyba, N., Cortez, E. D., & Genecar, G. (2019). Collaborative online international learning to prepare students for multicultural work environments. Nurse educator, 44(4), E1-E5. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000609
Gibson, A., Bardach, S. H., & Pope, N. D. (2020). COVID-19 and the digital divide: Will social workers help bridge the gap? Journal of gerontological social work, 63(6-7), 671-673. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2020.1772438
Rudner, N. (2021). Nursing is a health equity and social justice movement. Public Health Nursing, 38(4), 687-691. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12905
Practicum and Social Justice
Introduction
In this assessment, you will continue to create a thorough log that reflects your practicum experience. You will also reflect on your role in providing culturally competent care, as well as maintaining appropriate standards of confidentiality.
Assessment Instructions
Respond to the following in a short paper: All nurses should promote social justice and equity. It is also important to maintain appropriate standards of confidentiality and to exercise fairness. Reflect on your practicum experience during this assessment period, and share how these concepts are maintained.
PRACTICUM HOURS SUBMISSION
With this assessment, submit your CORE ELMS hours log showing a minimum of 20 hours earned and confirmed with your preceptor. Be sure that in addition to the hours you are also providing a brief description of the focus of your practicum hours for each entry. Reminder: You will need to have your preceptor approve your hours in CORE ELMS. Your Preceptor will get an email every time you submit hours to the CORE ELMS system. You will not receive a grade for this assessment without a confirmed Practicum Hours Log showing the minimum required hours per assessment. Faculty will review your hours to date and will contact you there are any questions or concerns.
Additional Requirements
Length of submission: 2–3 pages, double spaced. Number of resources: Minimum of 3 resources. Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message. APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style. Header formatting follows current APA levels. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Portfolio Prompt: You may choose to save this learning activity to your ePortfolio.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria: Competency 2: Demonstrate completion of hours toward the practicum experience. Demonstrate completion of hours toward the practicum experience. Competency 3: Reflect on your practicum experience including accomplishments and challenges met to improve health outcomes. Assess the importance of learning about multicultural care in the practice setting. Explain how nurses are ethically obligated to provide leadership in culturally competent care in health care organization.