1. Choose one of the theories listed below and explain how it would apply to nursing care and nursing practice.
2. The Australian health care system has evolved over time.
a. Describe the historical origins of the Australian healthcare system and explain how it has evolved into the current healthcare system we have in Australia today.
b. Identify and discuss at least two strengths and two weakness relating to the overall structure of the current Australian Healthcare system.
3. Many countries suffer health inequalities, including Australia. In Western societies, social issues continue to emerge as the gap between those with and those without economic resources grows.
a. In what ways, do you think an individual’s financial status affects their ability to access health resources?
b. Outline the social determinants that you consider disadvantage people and create health inequalities.
c. Explain the healthcare issues and it’s the impacts for healthcare deliver for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
d. Identify one health issue facing people from a non-western country and discuss the factors that may impact on this health issue (consider culture, environment, resources etc.).
4. Part of your education includes experiences in different types of healthcare settings.
a. How would the role of the Enrolled nurse in the primary care setting be different from their role in the acute care setting? Within your answer discuss the members of the health care team who the Enrolled nurse would most likely be working alongside
b. Discuss the principles and philosophical framework of primary health care. Within your answer explain how the principles of wellness can be incorporated into the nurses care
5. Discuss the following features and roles of the Australian health care system: within your answers cover political and economical impacts on health care delivery
a. State vs Federal health care funding
b. Provide a brief explanation of how you would explain Medicare vs Private Health Insurance to a family member
c. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
6. Explain the roles of the following nursing bodies using your own words:
a. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
b. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
7. Select one current health issue in Australia from the National Health Priority Areas as outlined in the following weblink http://www.aihw.gov.au/national-health-priority-areas/ Discuss initiatives that are already in place to address this issue.
In your answer identify an appropriate support service in Australia which is available to support people with this health issue. Healthcare System And Healthcare Issues In Australia Example Paper
8. Identify one non-western approach to healthcare
Explain how this could be incorporated into the care provided for people within the Australian healthcare system.
9. Locate the “DMF A4 nursing summary guide – 2010 – rebranded” document from http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Frameworks.aspxto assist you to identify the issues outlined in the following case study:
This evening when you report for your shift on to your general medical ward, the charge nurse tells you that you need to assist on the orthopaedic ward. You have not had any recent experience with orthopaedic patients. When you arrive on the orthopaedic ward, the charge nurse allocates you patients who require special techniques for getting out of bed and who need to do exercises using specialised equipment during the shift. You are not familiar with the techniques or the equipment. The charge nurse tells you that the patients can explain it to you.
a. Should you accept this assignment and rely on the patients to explain the techniques and equipment to you? provide 2 rationales for your answer
b. What aspects of the Standard for Practice: Enrolled Nurses (2016) need to be considered in this situation? Please access this document to assist with your answer http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards/enrolled-nurse-standards-for-practice.aspx
c. What action(s) would you take? – provide at least 2 actions
10. Identify one current health promotion strategy in Australia. (Possible examples include: smoking cessation, reduction of binge drinking, skin cancer awareness.)
a. Evaluate the effectiveness of this health promotion strategy (i.e. what is good/bad about it/does it work)
b. Identify any risk factors associated with the health issue targeted by the health promotion strategy and explain which health professional may be able to assist with that health issue and why.
1. Peplau’s theory is helpful in nursing practice as it provides the nurse with the scope of conducting her professional practice in a systematic manner so that all the aspects of healthcare for client is covered within it (Alligood, 2014). It mainly contains four important parts like orientation, identification, exploitation and resolution. These four phases are usually documented by the nurse as assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation as well as evaluation of the patient’s healthcare status. these stages will provide a detailed treatment of the patient and will evaluate the outcome of the intervention that the nurse provided.
2a. As people developed the knowledge of different diseases and treatments for different disorders became important, the healthcare system of Australia welcomed the Biomedical approach of treatment in 1870, preventative model in the first parts of 20thcentury and the social model came in 1970 with WHO’s advent (Federation, 2014). With the course of time, researchers and healthcare professionals noticed that all the three models have their own pros and cons. Therefore a cumulative model of approach was proposed in the later years with the rejection of the flaws and acceptance of the positive parts in the treatment methods to develop a proper treatment approach.
b. Two strengths:
The Australian healthcare systems have an innovative approach to retain healthcare professional’s workforce who not only possess professional competence but are also on the spree of continuous professional development.
Continuous incorporation of modern evidence based practices in the treatments of the clients which ensures that the most recent and modern methods of healthcare delivery is conducted.
Two weaknesses:
Social determinants of health play a great role affecting service delivery where low socio economic people face health inequality.
Proper development of infrastructure and workforce integration in remote areas has yet not been achieved creating barriers for indigenous people to achieve healthcare.
3a.
i. Low financial strength hampers the provision of treatment of diseases that are costly.
ii. Improper transportation in remote areas acts as barrier to health resources in urban areas.
iii. Cultural biasness results in improper service delivery to indigenous people.
b. The social determinants that results patients in facing health inequalities are the social gradient, early life, stress, work. Social exclusion, unemployment, social support, food, transport and addiction of patients (Marmot & Allen, 2014).
c. A number of healthcare issues that act as barrier in proper service delivery to Aboriginal as well as Torres Strait Islander people are educations barriers, lack of health literacy prevent them from understand ding and carrying out the correct methods of prevention for a disorder. Geographical barriers also prevent such chronically ill patients to travel a longer distance to acquire health service. Cultural barriers create complexes within such individuals that act as a challenge for healthcare professionals to provide proper service.
d. Migrants from other countries often face language and cultural barriers with biasness form the healthcare sectors. They also face severe issues in managing the cost of healthcare due to their financial instability. Moreover the environment of the western countries hardly matches with the non western country making them suffer from health disorder. They also face social exclusion due to stigmatization among the Westerners.
4.a. The role of an enrolled nurse in primary care setting is only supervision and medication administration. However some medication might not be allowed by state legislation to be incorporated by her. Here, they can perform supervision and take the responsibility of care for the individual. However in acute care setting, the enrolled nurse can never take the entire responsibility on herself in care planning and has to be an associate of the registered nurse who will be planning and taking all the responsibilities of care.
b. Primary health care is the first form of care which a patient receives when he faces a disorder in his system. It mainly follows the principle of WHO which states that healthy life is a life without any physical, psychological, social as well as cultural issues and not merely the absence of any disease. Features of this care include community control over health service, accessible, affordable and acceptable technology, health promotion and disease prevention and equity of care (Freund et al. 2015). Another important principle that is followed by here is principle of wellness which is an active process helping the patient to pursue activities to achieve their well being.
5.a. The state governments of Australia funds and delivers a wide range of healthcare services. It includes population health programs, health and medical research, community health services, health infrastructure, mental health services. They provide ambulance service, dental care and others (Mossialos et al., 2016). The federal government provides funding and indirect support to states and health professionals subsiding primary care providers through mediclaims and benefits like Medicare Benefits scheme (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
b. The Medicare scheme is provided by the government allowing patients to get access to free treatments in hospitals, visit to GPS and also for prescribed medications. Private insurance is usually for private hospitals where the patient can get special benefits from the insurers. In the former, the patient may have to pay money if the hospital bill overcomes the Medicare benefit. However private insurances cover bigger bulk of money and the patient pays more to this insurance that Medicare.
c. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme provides free medicines to prisoners and different life saving and disease preventing medicines ton citizens. It is a part of theAustralian Government’s broader National Medicines Policy and has the aim to meet the economic objectives as well as optimal health outcomes with subsidized.
6.a. The nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia mainly performs the function which are set by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law in every of the state and territory by the national law. It mainly helps in regulation of the practice of nursing as well as midwifery in Australia and it is mainly concerned with the protection of public (Scanlon et al., 2016).
b. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is presently run by nurses, midwives as well as assistants in nursing practice to contribute in the advancement of the industrial,political and professional status of people working here. They are currently struggling with the new threat to Medicare ensuring that it remains free for all people.
7. Obesity is one of the one of the national healthy priority areas that has become a concern for the nation as huge number of population are experience number of co morbidities and low quality life due to this disorder. The government of Australia has provided several guidelines as well as a number of policies that help in developing awareness among citizens to prevent the occurrence of obesity as well as steps that can reduce obesity (Rahman & Harding, 2013). Awareness is done not only among the adults but also in schools and playhouses in order to help the children as well. State and territory related health promotion program is also conducted. A support service consisting of doctors, nurses, dieticians, psychologists, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists both on a private and public level can prevent obesity in patients.
8. Acupuncture is a form of eastern treatment that mainly helps in relieving pain such as back pain and similar others. It is a form of Chinese medication and uses needle to insert in into the body of patients (O’Sullivan et al., 2016). This is now been accepted in the Australian culture although researchers are still researching over its efficiency.
9.a. The nurse should not accept the assignment as it has several risks. Firstly, the nurse should develop her own knowledge about the entire care and treatment and should not ask it from the patient. The patient may not be enough health literate to describe the entirely. A wrong approach will in turn affect the health of the patient. Secondly, as the nurse is not herself confident and may conduct a wrong procedure which will in turn entangle her in legal as well as ethical obligation as the principle of non maleficence and beneficence will not be followed by her (Seo, Son & Jung, 2015).
b. The enrolled nurse will not be able to maintain standard 9 which dictate her to practice nursing that will provide safety. She will not be able to follow the quality improvement guidelines and standards that ensure proper well practiced services to patients. Standard 6 will also not be followed as skilled care will not be provided by her as she is not skilled and knowledgeable about the approach. Standard 3 will make her responsible if she is not being able to prove her accountability or responsibility of improper practices that may result in the situation.
c. I would clearly explain the registered nurse about the various negative aspects associated with her decisions stating that her delegation may bring legal obligations on both of us. Secondly, I would take some time and go thorough evidence based literature in order to gain knowledge and request her to train me instead of training form the patient.
10.a. Health promotions for smoking cessation helps citizens educate about the harmful aspects associated with the practice and teach them how it not only cuts short the life of the smoker by several years but also suggests how it affects his or her family by passive smoking. It also provides many strategies that smokers can adapt to overcome their urge of smoking (Halperm et al., 2015). It helps in providing awareness.
b. It may result in lung disease caused by smoking like COPD, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The professionals who will attend any patients of the health issue are Cardiothoracic (chest) surgeon, carer, nurses, dieticians, exercise physiologist, general practitioner, respiratory nurses, occupational therapists and others.
References:
Alligood, M. R. (2014). Nursing theorists and their work. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Federation, A. (2014). A brief history of medical education and training in Australia.
Freund, T., Everett, C., Griffiths, P., Hudon, C., Naccarella, L., & Laurant, M. (2015). Skill mix, roles and remuneration in the primary care workforce: who are the healthcare professionals in the primary care teams across the world?. International journal of nursing studies, 52(3), 727-743.
Halpern, S. D., French, B., Small, D. S., Saulsgiver, K., Harhay, M. O., Audrain-McGovern, J., … & Volpp, K. G. (2015). Randomized trial of four financial-incentive programs for smoking cessation. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(22), 2108-2117.
Marmot, M., & Allen, J. J. (2014). Social determinants of health equity.
Mossialos, E., Wenzl, M., Osborn, R., & Anderson, C. (2016). 2015 International Profiles of Health Care Systems. The Commonwealth Fund.
O’sullivan, J., Del Mar, C., Barnes, A., & Marron, L. J. (2016). Acupuncture in Australia. Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 21(1), 22-24.
Rahman, A., & Harding, A. (2013). Prevalence of overweight and obesity epidemic in Australia: some causes and consequences. JP Journal of Biostatistics, 10(1), 31. Healthcare System And Healthcare Issues In Australia Example Paper