Mia
The entire healthcare system is heavily dependent on nursing staff. Nurses are the frontline workers who put their safety at risk and present themselves in need to serve humanity. Their empathetic nature allows them to understand the patients’ needs and wants more than their physicians, which is why they are so widely trusted by the standard population. Nurses have a broader role in the health system than we give them credit for; they access communities and individuals to improve their lives.
The public health sector still hasn’t fully recovered from the shocks and after-shocks of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.
Due to the pandemic, there was a severe shortage of workers and especially in public health. Public health needs nurses to join in and take more responsibilities because they see their responsibilities steadfastly. Nurses can take leadership positions where they can justly advocate for patients’ equality and help shape the future of healthcare. They are knowledgeable enough, through educational and experimental expertise, to assist policymakers in making critical decisions. Let’s have a look at all the reasons why it is so crucial for nurses to take on more responsibilities in public health:
- Recording and Analyzing Medical Data
There has been a rise in the number of discoveries of emerging, unidentified and infectious diseases. The public health system needs continuous analysis and evaluation of medical data so that authorities can make prompt and proactive decisions. Nurses have always played a vital role in recognizing the emerging disease threats worldwide. That is why there has been an increase in demand for nursing roles in many healthcare centers. Analysts have concluded a rise in a DNP salary because these individuals are highly regarded for their expertise in clinical areas. They can be quick to notice and point out patterns of similar diseases and their symptoms in patients. If given a proper forum, nurses can bring their insight to policymakers and help them implement actions to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks beforehand. Their knowledge makes them equipped enough to implement their expert perspective in the management of such outbreaks. They can take up essential roles in caregiving, leadership, influencing public health, and educating patients.
- Evaluating Treatment Plans
Nurses are well-trained and educated enough to understand the needs and wants of their patients better than anyone. They are the ones with whom the family of the patient is also most comfortable to talk. Such empathetic nature and open-mindedness make nurses approachable, which means they can change the best system for the patients and their families. Spending time with patients and recognizing the prevalence of health inequalities will help them become more culturally competent. It will help them overcome the hurdles of providing just and fair treatment. They can be crucial for the public health system to bring about a positive change in the day-to-day activities in healthcare centers and proceed to improve the living standards of the community by enhancing care quality and outcomes. They are also exemplary advocates for the patients. They can educate them about different ways to access and maximize the benefits of healthcare services. They make their patients capable enough to understand medical terms and become aware of their treatment plans.
- Working on Health Equity
Nurses can work on health equity better than any other healthcare worker because they understand the subject in-depth. They are humble and easily acknowledge the pledge of serving a diverse population regardless of their values and dedicate themselves to lifelong learning. It helps them understand humanity better and become more trustworthy because of their competence and confidence. They are reliable to the patient and genuinely listen to their problems, honor and respect their needs, and emit hopeful advice for the patients, their families, and the community. Nurses recognize and assess the social and environmental constraints on individuals and become advocates for removing these hurdles so that everyone can easily access the healthcare facilities they need. They are not hesitant to collaborate with all critical sectors of society to address and resolve such issues. Their systematic approach is to reduce costs of poor health and strengthen individual and community health.
- Eradicating Health Disparities
The public health sector benefits the entire population, not just a particular social class with economic and environmental advantages. Public health nurses are uniquely influential because they can quickly identify health disparities, given that they are aware of the concept themselves. They are the ones working closely with the patient. Hence, they can understand their systematic experiences that contribute to attaining proper healthcare for them. It could be based on any socio-economic factor like race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, social status, age, mental health, or even geographical location. Nurses ensure that they don’t have to face any such discrimination on the grounds of their healthcare organization and maintain a positive, empowering, safe and trustworthy environment. It supports these individuals, their families, and communities to engage in self-care and access facilities that can help them adopt healthy lifestyles.
- Improving Healthcare System
Nurses can improve the overall healthcare system once they take on crucial responsibilities as leaders. Beginning from the very core, nurses provide holistic care for their patients, focusing on healing them completely. They work on psychological health like they are working on their physical health to become better and healthier. Nurses also become a support system to the patient’s family and friends and provide them with honest yet hopeful insight into their health. Their contribution spreads to the overall community and makes them a great building block of the healthcare system. They also take up continuous training and education to stay aware of the ongoing needs and demands of the people so that they can come up with adequate responses at the time of need. As responsible members of the system, they also advocate for the patients and simultaneously campaign for public health issues to spread proper awareness regarding self-care. Through their influential networking, they can help make new health problems more understandable to the community.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nurses play an essential role in the healthcare system, and they are crucial for the public health sector. They are capable of critical thinking and making quick decisions, which is precisely what the public health system needs right now at the time of such uncertainty. But more importantly, nurses can help improve health outcomes, prevail health equity and remove health disparities from the system. Hence, their exceptional skills and educational expertise makes them vital for the prosperity of public health.
