Key Healthcare Practice Issues Faced By Nurses In Australia

The nurses in the healthcare sector have an important role to provide the patients with the quality and advanced care that can ultimately contribute towards improved healthcare status of the society. However, in the process of such care delivery, it can be identified that there are several key professionals as well as the practice issues involved which are to be focused upon and accordingly the care practices or strategies are to be adopted that can contribute towards the elimination of the industry issues and further the set health standards can be achieved (Halcomb et. al, 2017). This discussion will focus on evaluating the health care practice issue being faced by the nurses in the Australian sector. The discussion will focus towards the industry literature being presented by the researchers and further based on such the key industry challenges and issues will be identified and discussed.

The industry researchers define that Australia has a well-established healthcare system which has been supported by that the government as well as the private funding and ensures that every region or individual living within the society is being covered under the healthcare policy or strategies being defined. However, despite such, certain key issues are existing that act as a barrier for nurses in the delivery of quality care and affect their healthcare practice in the Australian society (Jo Delaney, 2018). Such includes the increasing need for technological advancement within the sector, as due to the major dependence of the healthcare sector on the public/government funding hence it acts as a key threat or issue for the sector growth. Further, the researchers have identified that the health inequality issues within the society, as well as racism, is a key threat that is being faced by the nurse in ensuring effective delivery of care process in the industry (Marci, 2016).  Healthcare Practice Issues Faced By Nurses In Australia Example Paper

The industry research being conducted by Kairuz et. al, (2021) reflects that Australian society has been categorized into that of the aboriginal and indigenous communities as well as the non-indigenous communities. The aboriginal communities can be identified to be living in that of the rural and underdeveloped areas, whereas the non-indigenous communities live in that of the urban and developed areas. Such differences can further be identified to have a major impact on the nurse’s ability to deliver quality care across their career. The researcher has defined that the aboriginal communities face racism and discrimination in the process of physical as well as mental care. The presence of the stereotyping within the society, as well as the social determinants, have a major impact on the decisions being made by the nurses throughout their careers and such acts as being a healthcare practice issue in the Australian society.

Further, the risk or healthcare practice issue of racism has been supported by Gatwiri et. al, (2021), the researchers have defined that the present government, as well as the social policies within the Australian society, can be identified to be highly influenced by that of the thought process of the migrants as well as the western societies. Due to such influence, the approach towards the cultural and religious factors of the Australian society is not being considered and further racism in the Australian societies can be identified in terms of the black and white people. The researcher reflects that the nurses in the region are also identified to be influenced by such discrimination or racism during their career choice further affecting the quality and standards of care delivered in the society.

Racism And Discrimination

C Mayes (2020) has defined that in the healthcare practice, it is important for the healthcare organizations as well as the professionals to ensure that an approach to biomedical ethics is being followed and that institutional racism is being avoided. But in the Australian society, the approach to racism can be identified to be existing at both the political as well as the social level which has a major impact on the healthcare policy development in the society. The researcher defines that despite the advancement in the society as well as the healthcare structures, the mortality rate among the aboriginal and indigenous population can be identified to have a high rate in comparison to that of the white Australians or the non-indigenous population.

However, Grant and Guerin (2018) have defined that the Australian government has contributed towards major investments in ensuring the delivery of quality care in the industry. But despite such, the researchers have defined that the ideology of racism can be identified to exist in that of the nurse education as well as their practice and throughout their careers. It can be reflected that despite the advancements within the society as well as the approaches the individuals within the Australian healthcare have failed to overcome the risk or threat of racism within the healthcare practices. Also, the researcher has reflected that in the Australian healthcare sector, an approach towards patient-oriented care is being promoted that can ensure the fulfilment of patients’ values, needs and specific preferences in the society. But such practices are majorly influenced by racism and their effectiveness varies at the different levels of the society.

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The industry analysis being conducted by Laverty et. al, (2017) opposes the view of racism being a healthcare practice issue in the Australian healthcare sector. The author has defined that the Australian healthcare system has developed over a period of time and the nurse’s attitude towards the aboriginal communities as well as the rural areas has improved due to the improved quality of health education in the society. Also, the professional’s approach towards the patient-oriented care has helped in aligning the cultural needs with that of the healthcare and such is acting as a critical component in the practice of culturally safe and satisfactory healthcare service in the industry.

Considering the various research approaches being presented by different authors over the healthcare practice issue in the Australian society, Hassen et. al, (2021) have defined that in the society there exist the policies and approaches towards the elimination of healthcare racism, but along with such there is a need for the adoption of anti-racism leadership in the society so that the healthcare practices and the approaches of the nurses can be evaluated and be monitored. Such can help the decision-makers better understand the society, as well as the healthcare practice issues faced by the nurses and accordingly the strategies, can be adopted.

Dywili et. al, (2021) has further defined that in the healthcare sector, the issue of racism is not only present in the process of the delivery of quality care to be patients but also such have a major impact over the nurse’s experience and satisfaction in the industry affecting their ability to deliver quality care. The researcher reflected that the nurses belonging to the black or the aboriginal communities are not welcomed or respected by that of the urban communities as well as the non-indigenous patients. Such is only due to the differences in that of the skin color as well as the cultural differences resulting in affecting the professional attitude and values of the nurses to deliver quality care within the society.

Patient-Oriented Care And Cultural Needs

Supporting the approaches being presented by the Dywili et. al, as well as Laverty et. al, the study being conducted by Isaacs et. al, (2016) reflects that in the Australian society, the efforts have been made to provide the nurses with the cultural education as well as providing required opportunities to the aboriginal or the nurses from the discriminated groups. Such still such practices have failed to promote cultural desire among the individuals in the society. The researcher reflects that despite the increasing focus towards the patient-oriented care as well as the cultural competencies in the society, the nurses in the society faces issues while providing treatment and care to the patients in the Australian society due to the racism and discrimination arising from both the patient as well as the nurses involved in the process.

Conclusion

The overall analysis has been focused towards identifying and evaluating a healthcare practice issue being faced by the nurses in Australian healthcare. Conducting an evaluation of Australian healthcare, it can be identified that the government has invested effectively to ensure improvement of the care standards and quality in the industry, but despite of such the society’s approach towards racism and discrimination has been a key aspect affecting the healthcare practice in the society. The industry researchers have defined that the presence of the aboriginal as well as the non-indigenous population has resulted in creating a cultural difference in the society which further has a major impact over the healthcare practice adopted by a nurse. Therefore, there is a need within the Australian society to adopt effective leadership and monitoring practices that can help in identifying such healthcare practice gaps and further the healthcare standards can be improved.

References

Dywilli, S., O’Brien, L., & Anderson, J. (2021). “It’s only the skin colour, otherwise we are all people”: the changing face of the Australian nurse. Mar – May 2021, 38(2), 13-22. https://doi.org/10.37464/2020.382.263

Gatwiri, K., Rotumah, D., & Rix, E. (2021). BlackLivesMatter in Healthcare: Racism and Implications for Health Inequity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 18(9), 4399. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094399

Grant, J., & Guerin, P. (2018). Mixed and misunderstandings: An exploration of the meaning of racism with maternal, child, and family health nurses in South Australia. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 74(12), 2831-2839. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13789

Halcomb, E., Stephens, M., Bryce, J., Foley, E., & Ashley, C. (2017). The development of professional practice standards for Australian general practice nurses. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 73(8), 1958-1969. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13274

Hassen, N., Lofters, A., Michael, S., Mall, A., Pinto, A., & Rackal, J. (2021). Implementing Anti-Racism Interventions in Healthcare Settings: A Scoping Review. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 18(6), 2993. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062993

Isaacs, A., Raymond, A., Jacob, E., Jones, J., McGrail, M., & Drysdale, M. (2016). Cultural desire need not improve with cultural knowledge: A cross-sectional study of student nurses. Nurse Education In Practice, 19(1), 91-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2016.05.009

Jo Delaney, L. (2018). Patient-centred care as an approach to improving health care in Australia. Collegian, 25(1), 119-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2017.02.005

Kairuz, C., Casanelia, L., Bennett-Brook, K., Coombes, J., & Yadav, U. (2021). Impact of racism and discrimination on physical and mental health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples living in Australia: a systematic scoping review.  Healthcare Practice Issues Faced By Nurses In Australia Example Paper