Community Health Nursing Report

This report discusses the role of community health nursing in Australia, focusing on equity and access to health care services for populations affected by HIV. It highlights the principles of equity in primary health care, describes key populations at risk, and presents case scenarios illustrating community ...Read More

Community health nursing
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................3
Summary of the principles of equity and access within primary health care..............................3
Description of key population, their disproportionate risks and their equity and access issues..5
Include case scenario 3 HIV, as an example of community nursing intervention and
approaches to support preventive health care services and promote health for key population
affected by HIV...........................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
Community nurses are engaged in delivering better health care services to the patients
who are engaged in delivering prominent health amenities to the public of Australia. Specific
community nursing services are delivered as per the health dimensions and chiefly it is delivered
to patient suffering from HIV (HIV/AIDS. 2015). Community nurses are also involved in
enhancing the health standards through maintaining several principles of health care. In this
respect, the present research study has been emphasizing on Torres Strait Islander people who
are having several health problems and most often they do not get appropriate access to health
services. Focus has been laid on the principle of equity which includes several dimensions for the
patients. Thus, in this respect, several nursing intervention are being discussed that aids in
delivering support to the people of Australia.
Summary of the principles of equity and access within primary health care
As per the principle of equity, community nurses are required to showcase equal and
appropriate treatment for all the patients so that their health issues can be resolved. This is also
useful for the purpose of enhancing health standards in the Australian community. While dealing
with the patients, it is essential for the community nurses to consider equitable rights and
obligations so as to deal with diverse health challenges (Summary of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander health. 2015). Suitable management of health care services can eradicate all sorts
of disparities and challenges and it can also maximize health benefits. Delivering such services is
also essential for the purpose of improving the living standard of Australian community.
Community nurses are also required to ensure that HIV patients are getting suitable
access to health care services as then only health care standards can be enhanced. This can be
explained with the help of an example (Dodson, Batterham, McDonald, Elliott & Osborne,
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2016). While treating HIV patients, it is crucial for the community nurses to educate and inform
them in the most appropriate manner. Community nurses should prominently promote health
standards through considering the interest of people in health care domain. The principle of
equity states that health related services should be same for each and every patient regardless of
caste, religion and cultural values. In Torres Strait Islander, there are numerous people who are
experiencing HIV issues; however most of them are unable to get proper treatment due to lack of
easy accessibility.
Interest of patient are ought to be included in health care provision as they hold the right
for the same. Thus, according to the generic principle, health equity is different from health
equality as it specifies only absence of disparities in health aspects. Thus, in order to promote
health equality in Australia, The Eora Action Plan has been launched which is also a response to
HIV epidemic among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities (Safreed-Harmon,
Cooper, Lange, Duncombe & Phanuphak, 2016). The main aim of the action plan was to reduce
the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases by 50%. At the same time, it also aids in ensuring that
antiretroviral treatment is available for Torres Strait Islander people; hence it ensures to give
adequate access of health services to all the people of Australia.
However, from historical point of view, the epidemic of HIV peaked in Australia and
number of people were reported in this epidemic. Despite of a well-controlled HIV epidemic in
Australia, the number of cases seemed to be increased continuously. However, while accessing
the situation, it is being ascertained that most of the patient did not had easy accessibility to
health care services; hence this also enhanced the rate of mortality (Braun and et.al., 2016).
Apart from patient’s interest, it is also crucial for the nurses to involve patient’s family as well in
the care process. There are varied provisions through which community nurses can support the
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patient such as through developing suitable interaction, by creating coordination in health
prospects and etc. Therefore, it can be said that community nurses are entitled to consider the
interest of patients in all domains.
Description of key population, their disproportionate risks and their equity and access issues
Apparently, HIV is an epidemic that affects man people when the virus outbreaks; hence
in Australia, it has affected many people. Therefore, in order to promote health standards for
Australian people, community nurses are emphasizing on several health programs that can bring
changes in the lifestyle and health standards of people (Power, Lyons, Brown, Dowsett & Lucke,
2017). Currently, the use of anti- retroviral drugs has been increasing because that is one of the
effective treatments for HIV patients. As per the in-depth analysis, HIV has been increasing
because of heterosexual contact; however at the same time homosexual contact remains to the
major reason that leads to HIV. Hence, 85% cases have been diagnosed because of this reason.
The issues of HIV has been increasing because of unsafe sexual relations.
In the same aspect, Australian women are most likely to be impacted by HIV and they
also do not have proper accessibility to health dimensions. Thus, in Australia, people are highly
infected because of inadequate sexual contact and this also enhances mortality ratio in the
Australian community (Persson, Newman & Miller, 2017). Injected drugs and other issues are
being identified as the major constraints that enhances issues related to HIV in Australia.
Therefore, according to the changing health dimensions, community nurses are required to
change the provision of delivering health care services.
As per the evidence of 38 cases it was found that during 2015 standard rate of HIV was noticed
among Torres Strait and Aboriginal people who are prone to get affected from HIV. However,
such kind of circumstances might not occur with Non-ingenious people living in the country
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Australia. However, several efforts are made to provide treatment for those who were suffering
from issues related to HIV. It was addressed by offering the right kind of treatment among
people. During past time, higher health related services were rendered among people who were
suffering from the same. Though, poor countries were highly affected from such kind of issues
and were not able to render right kind of treatment for the needy people. Further, the sexually
transmitted disease in Australia is changing and accordingly approximate 86000 cases were
noticed during the year 2014 (Allender, Rector and Warner, 2010).
The major cause behind highly spreading diseases such as HIV was due to intercourse
with sex workers. For example, the rate of HIV is higher among bisexual men and gay as 27%
that reflects average 1.1 testes as per person during the year 2011. The same ratio was increased
during the year 2015 by 1.4. Not only this but the HIV positive people are highly discriminated
in Australia which require extensive efforts from nursing staff to treat the patients and provide
them equal right. At this juncture, several program can be implemented by community nursing
staff to treat the patients in the right direction (Guthrie and et. al., 2000). Apart from this, from
the year 1992 to 1998 it was found that 55 were affected from AIDS and 127 indigenous
Australian were diagnosed with HIV infection. Here, the major issue was related to the male
homosexual contact through which both indigenous and non-ingenious people were getting
affected through HIV (Olang’o, Nyamongo and Aagaard-Hansen, 2010).
The immunity power of women is decreasing due to their homosexual relationship which
results in minimization of cell count. At the same time, majority of Australian women do not
reveal their HIV status just because of the issue related to discrimination. For this purpose, they
must be provided easy access to health care services and accordingly they can resolve the issues
related to HIV status. For this purpose, it is very important to address the issues related to health
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care services and provide the right kind of facilities for the women and other people suffering
from such kind of issues (Broussard, 2011). Owing to this, justice and equality must be
considered in order to provide the right kind of environment for people and offer them
opportunity to get their issues addressed in an effectual manner.
Apart from this, different kind of services are rendered for prevention and treatment of
HIV for the people who are in prisons and any other kind of closed setting. During the year 2013,
partners and UNODC were agreed to form the effective package for the purpose of treatment and
prevention of HIV. For this purpose, it is very important to hand over the responsibility to
nursing staff to improve the health care services setting by considering the equality aspect. It
would be effective for them to consider the proper health services for the people who are in
closed setting or prisoners (Stanhope and Lancaster, 2015). Furthermore, ministry of health also
need to lay emphasis on health promotion by introducing several kind of standards or
regulations. Furthermore, framework set down by the WHO is also need be considered by
community nursing staff so as to get the assistance from the experienced people with regard to
health disparities.
Include case scenario 3 HIV, as an example of community nursing intervention and approaches
to support preventive health care services and promote health for key population affected by HIV
According to the case scenario it has been found that that in the country Australia the HIV
related to response is sustainable through which vulnerabilities and risk behaviors is depicted. In
this regard, there are five major groups which are affected through HIV. It consists of men to
men sex, drug addicted people, transgender and sex workers as well as prisoners or those who
are there in the close setting. They are not being provided protective measures and therapies to
address the issues related to HIV in result it is continuously increasing. For this purpose, it is
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important for nursing staff to take the corrective action against such kind of issues and introduce
the preventive measures for the people who are suffering from HIV related issues. However,
proper collaboration and coordination is important among nursing staff for better service delivery
along with targets (Townsend, 2014).
Several people among the key population are not having the easy access to health care
services as they do not have appropriate access to treatment literacy and health care. The impact
of the same can be seen on their health seeking behavior and HIV risk. It reflects that health
services should be properly provided for needy people and fix their problem on right time for
their better care (Celletti and et. al., 2010).
The health care services which are being provided in Australia reflects that community
nursing should be more cautious towards the treatment literacy so that users come to know about
their better care and cure as well. Similarly, the issue related to mental health illness was also the
barriers in providing the treatment to affected people (Zandee and et al., 2010). At this juncture,
nursing staff need to put efforts for the purpose of make it sure the right kind of standards are
being implemented.
CONCLUSION
The aforementioned report concludes that prevalence of HIV is important through which
affected people can be provided full safety. The women must be provided more safety as they are
highly affected from unsuitable sexual contact. However, pregnant ladies are prone to risk of
HIV and accordingly they should be provided better health care services. It can also be
concluded that age group of 45-55 is highly at risk of HIV through which it is important to
provide them right kind of services by using the effective measure. Apart from this, local places
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and suburban areas of Australia must be provided effective health care services for reducing the
risk of HIV.
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REFERENCES
Allender, J. A., Rector, C. L., & Warner, K. D. (2010). Community health nursing. Wolters
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Braun, L. A. and et.al., (2016). Complementary medicine use by people living with HIV in
Australia–a national survey. International journal of STD & AIDS. 27(1). pp.33-38.
Broussard, B. B. (2011). The bucket list: A service-learning approach to community engagement
to enhance community health nursing clinical learning. Journal of Nursing Education.
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Celletti, F. & et. al., (2010). Can the deployment of community health workers for the delivery of
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Dodson, S., Batterham, R., McDonald, K., Elliott, J. H., & Osborne, R. H. (2016). A systematic
analysis of the needs of people with HIV in Australia: stakeholder views of the key
elements for a healthy life. Sexual Health. 13(5). pp.444-450.
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acquired HIV in Australia. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. 22(1). pp.1-
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Safreed-Harmon, K., Cooper, D. A., Lange, J. M., Duncombe, C., & Phanuphak, P. (2016). The
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Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2015). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in
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<http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/summary >. [Accessed on 29th May
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Townsend, M. C. (2014). Psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based
practice. FA Davis.
Zandee, G. & et al., (2010). Effectiveness of community health worker/nursing student teams as
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