NURSES WORKING TO IMPROVE THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF IMPOVERISHED CITIZENS THROUGH GOVERNMENT ACTIONS

Post your response to the following prompts:

Respond to the rubric question about how politics affects health and healthcare.
Review the case study “Improving the Health of the Poor in Mexico.” Then, prepare your response to the following questions on the rubric:

In general, how do politics and economics influence health and health care?
What might the benefits be of awarding the mothers cash grants as described in the case study?
What ethical dilemmas or social problems might be created by giving the mothers cash grants as described in the case study?
As described in the case study, do you think the resources were ethically distributed? (Think about stereotyping.)
If the Progresa/Oportunidades program were to be discontinued for any reason, what could you, as a nurse, say that might help to maintain funding?
Do you think a similar program, one like the Progresa/Oportunidades program, might work in your community? Why or why not?
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.

Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include in-text citationsLinks to an external site.. Utilize essay-levelLinks to an external site. writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional materialLinks to an external site. and organizational framesLinks to an external site.. Avoid quotes; paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference listLinks to an external site. is required. Use the most current evidenceLinks

ORDER A CUSTOM-WRITTEN PAPER HERE

Nurses’ Role in Government Actions to Improve Healthcare Outcomes

Political factors and economics are the two related factors that influence the healthcare outcomes of individuals. Politics influence the development of policies and distribution of resources necessary to achieve health, restore the best healthcare outcomes, and improve the quality of life of individuals in the community. On the other hand, economics impact the access of individuals to the required healthcare services and influence their capacity to achieve the desired outcomes and quality of life (Greer et al., 2022). Therefore, politics and economics generally impact access to healthcare services and resources, including those needed for health promotion and preventing diseases and adverse events.

One of the key factors contributing to ill health is the growing disease burden, which requires resources for managing the health and outcomes of individuals affected. Women are the most affected since they lack adequate resources, contributing to gender disparities in healthcare access and limited capacity to achieve desirable healthcare goals (Su et al., 2021). Awarding mothers monetary benefits and other resources will improve their purchasing capacity for healthcare insurance access to healthcare services whenever needed and enhance their ability to adhere to health promotion and preventive strategies for strengthening the desirable healthcare outcomes. Social dilemmas arising from issuing monetary grants to mothers include inequitable distribution since some male individuals experience more adverse health risks and health events than other women. Therefore, although the program aims to boost the capacity of women in healthcare access, some socioeconomically unstable males will be affected, contributing to adverse healthcare outcomes and health disparities among men. Therefore, the resources were not ethically distributed because they focused on gender rather than the socioeconomic status of those affected. The approach does not consider equity and equality in allocating resources to the vulnerable population, rather than focusing on gender as a significant issue.

Maintaining funding for the program is challenging and requires the nurse to play an active and central role in ensuring that the resources needed reach the most at-risk individuals and populations. The nurse should engage various stakeholders, participate in policy development, and engage public health authorities to ensure that resources and opportunities are accessible and achievable to maintain the best healthcare outcomes (Oruche & Zapolski, 2020). A similar program implemented in my community would effectively address the underlying health disparities and issues affecting the quality of life of individuals in the community. However, the program should target different social determinants of health, including age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and cultural orientation, income distribution, and gender. The approach will make the program more inclusive and ensure that the existing health disparities and issues are addressed using available healthcare strategies and approaches to care.

References

Greer, S. L., Falkenbach, M., Siciliani, L., McKee, M., Wismar, M., & Figueras, J. (2022). From health in all policies to health for all policies. The Lancet Public Health, 7(8), e718–e720. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00155-4

Oruche, U. M., & Zapolski, T. C. B. (2020). The role of nurses in eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(12), 2–4. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20201112-01

Su, Z., Cheshmehzangi, A., McDonnell, D., Šegalo, S., Ahmad, J., & Bennett, B. (2021). Gender inequality and health disparity amid COVID-19. Nursing Outlook, 70(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.08.004