Write a 5–6 page, APA-formatted report that explains the responses to a global event, how issues of race, class, and gender may have affected the response, and the role of international and altruistic organizations in providing health care services related to the event. Describe barriers to receiving health care services related to the event, and explain the role of the professional nurse in providing health care services related to the global event.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), natural disasters kill approximately 90,000 people and impact another 160 million people every year (2015). Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and wildfires not only have an immediate impact on those who live in and around the affected area, they also often have a longer-term effect on the health and well-being of those impacted. Developing countries are frequently unable to respond to natural disasters effectively and efficiently because they lack resources, infrastructure, and disaster-preparedness systems.
Poor health care systems in developing countries also make these countries more vulnerable to epidemics such as the recent outbreak of Ebola in Chad, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. According to a report from Save the Children (2015), some developing countries have less than one health care worker for every 2,000 people. Other diseases such as malaria and pneumonia account for as many as 17,000 child deaths every day (Save the Children, 2015).
Nurses can provide critical skills during times of global events. Whether by volunteering directly at the site of the event or by recruiting, screening, and training other professional nurses behind the scenes, nurses are crucial to global relief efforts.
References
Save the Children. (2015). A wake-up call: Lessons from Ebola for the world’s health systems. Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/WAKE%20UP%20CALL%20REPORT%20PDF.PDF
World Health Organization. (2015). Natural disaster profiles. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/emergencies/en/
Preparation
Suppose that within your health care organization there is no formal process or structure for health care professionals to volunteer time and services in times of global need. You would like to develop a proposal for establishing a process that would allow nurses and other health care professionals to secure time off to work with a specific worldwide organization, to provide health care services during global events. As part of the proposal, you would need to provide background research to support your request.
Conduct background research on either one of the following to support the proposal you would develop:
- Choose one worldwide epidemic, such as the 2009 flu pandemic, 2009 mumps outbreak, 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak, the recent Ebola virus epidemic, or another epidemic. Research articles that focus on how the initial outbreak was handled; the role of social attitudes and issues of race, class, and gender in responding to the outbreak; barriers to people receiving proper health care; and the role of nursing in providing health care services related to the epidemic.
- Choose one natural disaster, such as the earthquakes in Haiti, Pakistan, or Nepal; Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar; the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, or any other natural disaster that brought a worldwide response. Research articles that focus on the initial response to the disaster; the role of social attitudes and issues of race, class, and gender in responding to the disaster; barriers to survivors receiving health care; and the role of nursing in providing health care services related to the disaste
- Requirements
For this assessment, develop background research that would support a proposal for an organizational process allowing health care professionals to volunteer time and services when global events happen. First, identify the global event you will be using in your research, and then:
- Explain how the local and national (meaning the nation in which the event took place) communities responded to the event. Who responded? How long did the first response take? How did health care providers respond?
- Explain how social attitudes, as well as issues of race, class, gender, or other factors may have influenced the response to the event. Be sure you consider not only the response of the home country, but the global response as well.
- Describe barriers to health care services for the people impacted by the event. Some barriers may be obvious, and other barriers less obvious; try to consider multiple aspects.
- Explain the role of international health organizations and altruistic organizations in providing health care services related to the global event.
- Explain the role of the professional nurse in providing health care services related to the global event. Consider scope of practice when working professionally out of one’s area of license—either nationally or globally.
- Additional Requirements
Complete your assessment using the following specifications:
- Title page and reference page.
- Number of pages: 5–6 (not including the title and reference pages).
- At least 4 current scholarly or professional resources.
- APA format for the entire document, including citations and references.
- Times New Roman font, 12-point, double-spaced.
