Reflective Journal C

Title page

Reflective Journal

The deprived community at Northwest 33 Terrace Lauderhill, Florida is facing issues of food shortage and financial support. The black population is a victim of poverty and is unable to invest in the education and development of their children. Different charitable organizations are working in the area for catering to the needs of the population. The youth and adolescents belonging to African or Hispanic backgrounds are unable to invest in healthcare. A majority of the population is facing high risks of chronic disease and a lack access to proper healthcare facilities. Their unhealthy habits, which increase the risk of developing chronic diseases at old age, include drinking and smoking. Unhealthy lifestyles are identified as a prominent factor that contributes to chronic illness. Adult drug addicts who neglect their health are more vulnerable. Unemployment is also identified as a significant factor that contributes to this disease.

African-Americans and Hispanics are vulnerable populations because they are living in low socio-economic conditions. Their lack of access to food, education and other healthcare facilities increase risks of declined health. The poverty rate is 19% among the black population and 14% among Hispanics compared to 8% poverty among whites CITATION KFF17 \l 1033 (KFF, 2017). Majority of the youth facing challenges of chronic disease are unemployed or affiliated with low-level jobs. Chronic Primary Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) causes respiratory disorders and undermines the quality of life. Minority populations are facing challenges of developing chronic illness due to poor lifestyles.

The state of Florida is responsible for providing general welfare and regulating healthcare activities in the region. The state has been focusing on making healthcare affordable for the lower and middle-class. Providing knowledge and awareness is also the role of the government. The state also emphasizes minimizing the costs of prescription drugs and maximizing benefits for the deprived population. The state legislature had adopted policies for helping the deprived as 14 percent of the population in Florida is poor. In the Northwest Terrace significant population is relying on government programs and grants. Estimated 2.9 million of the residents are depending on government’s grants for meeting their daily needs that include food, paying rents, bills and visiting doctors. Programs like Medicaid is focused on offering free healthcare services to the poor CITATION KFF17 \l 1033 (KFF, 2017). The patients are receiving medical service either on the basis of charity or Medicaid so it is crucial to provide them with quality services. This requires leading and managing because the performance of the staff can be controlled by the leader. Because patients are unfamiliar with their medications, the prescription plan will require nurses to provide detailed information about its use.

Nurses must adopt the principles of accountability, risk management and corrective actions for minimizing errors. The leader has a responsibility for identifying the wrongful practices such as errors in medication or delayed response from the staff. Nurses and healthcare providers have duty of guiding treatment plans. The central focus of the strategy is to improve quality consistently. The Florida Department of Health is responsible for managing the health of the public at large scale. It is aiming at protecting the health of adolescents and adults who are at the risk of developing chronic diseases.

The four major government-sponsored insurance plans to include Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and CHAMPVA. Medicare is an insurance program that was developed according to the Social Security Act. Individual care is offered to citizens who have ages of 65 years or older. These people must have paid FICA taxes if they want to avail the plan. The plan also provides free medical service to the disabled who are below 18 years. Medicaid is hospital insurance in which the state pays for the hospital expenses, medication etc. The plan works for the citizens who are at the age of 65 years or above. However, they must pay premiums for the coverage. TRICARE is another plan offered by the state that offers free service to the citizens who are enrolled for it. This is an extra and alternative care plan for the civilians. It is more expensive and provides enhanced care. CHAMPVA is health insurance for veterans. It offers healthcare facilities to veterans who are disabled or dependent on others. The lifetime health coverage is offered to veterans according to this plan CITATION Sus12 \l 1033 (Sanderson, 2012).

The professionals involved in the healthcare settings include physicians, clinicians and primary care providers. The medical officer needs to perform various roles include overlooking the provision of care and supervise the functions performed by the staff. They are also responsible for assessing and diagnosing the needs of their patients. The medical officer ensures the proper standards of care are adopted which will lead to high-quality care. They take the role of administrators and keeps a check on the activities. They are responsible for handling a diverse range of activities (Watcher, 2010).

Florida’s Health regulation focused on policy development that contributes to the maximization of healthcare. The policies include controlled substances for administrating Schedule V drugs in serious cases. Florida telehealth law is focused on providing immediate and mobile healthcare facilities to the population. Prescription Drug and Pricing Transparency is another significant law that attempts to control drug prices. The state is focused on offering affordable medicines to patients. This principle suggests that the physician must inform clients about the generically developed medicines and adopts the model of cost sharing. The model prevents customers from exceeding the retail price of the prescription. Definitions of duties and laws are developed that restrict healthcare institutes from engaging in malpractice CITATION Sus12 \l 1033 (Sanderson, 2012).

The psychosocial status of the vulnerable population depicts that they are undergoing depression and mental issues. Lack of financial support and increased dependence on drugs indicates their depressed state. They exhibit disturbed moods and adopt anti-social behaviours. It is also crucial to examine the mental health of youth at Northwest 33 Terrace Lauderhill. The immediate diagnosis and symptoms of depression can prevent them from long-term loss.

The nurses have a significant role in the provision of efficient healthcare services. They are responsible for considering equality in treating patients. They are also capable of taking roles of professional advocates and instructing patients appropriate treatments. The competencies required for nursing in healthcare include a direct encounter with the patients, the ability to set initial setup, managing daily activities and focusing on healthcare. The professionals at entry level must be capable of administrating procedures, communications, laws and ethics CITATION Sus12 \l 1033 (Sanderson, 2012).

The healthcare gap depicts the need for improving services. The principles adopted for the maintenance of quality care service include the provision of equitable, timely, patient-centred and efficient services. This will eliminate the possibilities of unnecessary delays. These principles are also linked with high patient satisfaction. The state must ensure that the staff treat patients with respect and dignity. They must avoid discriminatory attitudes and treat all patients equally irrespective of their ethnicities or cultural backgrounds. It is crucial to identify factors that promote quality care. Quality control and quality management practices assure that the staff avoid engaging in practices that undermine the quality. Performance must be evaluated by conducting assessments of the staff and uncover their weaknesses.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY KFF. (2017). Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity. Retrieved 06 21, 2019, from https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/poverty-rate-by-raceethnicity/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D

Sanderson, S. M. (2012). Practice management and EHR: A total patient encounter for Medisoft. McGraw Hill.

Wachter, R. 2010. “Patient Safety at Ten: Unmistakable Progress, Troubling Gaps.” Health Affairs 29 (1): 165–73.