My selection is Migrant Farmworkers
Role of the Public Health Nurse
A. Discusses the role of the public health nurse in USA in caring for vulnerable populations.
B. States the core functions include assessment, policy development, and assurance of public health and applies it to the care of the specific population. Make sure explain 3 different part includes assessment, policy development and assurance.
C. Three local agencies/facilities delivering services to the target population are identified and accessibility is described. Services rendered are fully described.
D. Additional resources needed in the community are identified.
E. References are current, properly used and cited.
Answers
Migrant Farm Workers
Public health nursing is a practice through which the assessment of the general population takes place to identify vulnerable individuals who require health promotions as they are at a higher risk of disease, disability, injury, as well as premature death. The concept is based on community needs, expectations, and strength, as well as available resources to enhance the outcome of the services offered (Stanhope et al., 2019). As a result, it is a science that incorporates nursing with public health education and focuses on the target population group. Additionally, the process of public health nursing can be determined through the available scientific knowledge about a community, the accepted nursing standards of practice, the agency’s purpose, objective, and philosophy. Public health nursing focuses on primary health care, such as prevention of illness in a specific population (Stanhope et al., 2019). Therefore, for the migrant workers in the United States, public health nursing is an entity that offers medical services to a population that can benefit from the process the most, resulting in the accessibility of medical care.
The main role of public health nursing is to provide and promote health services to prevent the occurrence of diseases for the migrant workers working in the U.S. Notably, public health nursing does not engage in direct provision of health services in a clinical setting, but supports the health care process thorough evaluation and assessment of an individual’s needs in the context of the overall population group (Stanhope et al., 2019). Remarkably, there are various roles public health nursing plays in support of a population group’s health including, analyzing and assessing the community through the available current data to provide the most crucial information to implement community health services. Additionally, policy development, as well as program planning, play a significant role in public health nursing to provide support in community health (Stanhope et al., 2019). Subsequently, it engages in stakeholders’ communication, who include individuals and families from a population group to identify the available health services and community needs. Hence, public health nurses in collaboration with other health practitioners develop support systems to provide access to medical care and prevent problems that may arise in regards to health of migrant workers.
Functions of the Public Health in Care of Migrant Farm Workers
Public health plays a major role in ensuring the delivery of quality health care to all populations in the United States. Notably, it should ensure that the vulnerable populations, who include migrant workers in the United States receive quality and safe health care. Due to their jobs, they are more susceptible to work-related fatalities and injuries, especially since their working conditions largely contribute to the health disparities. Therefore, public health is charged with the prevention of the spread of diseases and epidemics among migrant farmworkers. Particularly, it encourages safe behaviors, promotes the prevention of injuries, responds to their challenges, and provides the vulnerable population with quality health care. Indeed, it is the primary role of public health to ensure that the laborers access quality care even without the necessary funding or citizenship status.
Public health must collect, analyze, and share data to identify the health issues affecting the migrant farm laborers. The information should detail health risks, identify injuries, and mortality rates among the workers as well as determine possible solutions (Malph, 2019). Additionally, public health consult with relevant stakeholders to ensure that they advocate for health policies that are appropriate for these workers. Therefore, public health officers should use the available resources to ensure that policies that are put across serve the best interest of the workers. Besides, it must educate the laborers about health problems and also mobilize them to ensure they seek care when faced by various health issues. Ultimately, public health must protect and promote the interests of the workers by developing regulations, campaigns, events, programs, and strategies that ensure the workers receive necessary services. Therefore, they must enforce laws that ensure the protection and health safety of the migrant farm laborers.
Local Agencies
Local public health agencies assess the health risks of environmental problems among the migrant health workers as well as provide them with emergency services, especially during disasters. One of the local agencies include the Migrant Clinicians Network that provides migration, poverty, and health solutions to these workers (Health Resources and Services Migration, n.d.). The organization provides support to the clinicians in Federally Qualified Health Centres to afford quality health care, thus reducing disparities for laborers. The Farmworker Justice is also an agency that empowers farmworkers by improving their health conditions (Health Resources and Services Migration, n.d.). The organization focuses on ensuring farm workers have access to occupational safety, health, justice, and safe working conditions. Notably, local agencies enhance service delivery for vulnerable populations.
The local agencies strive to close gaps that exist in healthcare between vulnerable populations and other people. As a local agency Conduent focuses on community and population health management. Notably, their main goal is to protect and promote communities’ health through sharing of information as well as data required to analyze a population to meet their needs better (Conduent, n.d). Additionally, the organization focuses on assessing and implementing evidence-based program to improve public health management (Conduent, n.d). Their technology offers tracking and evaluation systems with a higher probability of success, making it suitable for state government as well as the public health departments in gathering public health information (Conduent, n.d). Therefore, if one wishes to access Conduent services, they can be reached via their website (www.conduent .com). Hence, through technology, Conduent collects essential data that helps in the overall policy-making as well as planning.
References
Conduent, n.d. Public Health Departments. Conduent. https://www.conduent.com/solution/public-health-improvement/
Health Resources and Services Migration (n.d.). Migrant Clinicians Network https://www.hrsa.gov/library/migrant-clinicians-network
Malph. (2019). Public Health Core Functions and 10 Essential Services. malph.org/sites/default/files/06%20A%20PublicHealthCoreFunctionsPHLawEssential%20ServicesCalhoun2019.pdf
Stanhope, M., Faan, R. D., Lancaster, J., & Faan, R. P. (2019). Public Health Nursing E-Book: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community. Elsevier Health Sciences.