NURSING PROJECT 1: Health Issues, Societal Impact, and Nursing Role

This nursing project explores the crucial role of nurses in addressing community health issues, emphasizing the societal impact of health problems, particularly within Aboriginal communities in Australia. The project highlights the importance of primary health care services, the significance of mental health, and the barriers faced by disadvantaged communities. It emphasizes the nurses' responsibility in providing healthcare, promoting education, and advocating for improved access to services. The project also discusses cultural safety, ethical practices, and the need for nurses to be culturally competent. The role of local governments, NGOs, and healthcare organizations in supporting community health initiatives are also examined. The document stresses the importance of nurses in promoting health, tackling mental illness, and improving health outcomes for all individuals. This project showcases the critical role of nurses in improving health outcomes and closing the health gap, especially for indigenous communities.

NURSING PROJECT
1

Table of Contents
Articulate knowledge of health issues as societal issue and role of nurse in addressing
community health issue-:.................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

Articulate knowledge of health issues as societal issue and role of nurse in
addressing community health issue-:
For every country to maintain the health of their citizen is major responsibility. A healthy
community represent a healthy nation (Mackean, Withall and Wilson, 2020). This reflects that
health care system is highly effective and all people are provided high and effective health care
services. In this local and state level community group also play crucial role. They create a
proper network to reach disadvantage community and provide them primary health care
facilities.
In present times, there are various types of health issues which are prevailing within
society. These issues are highly affecting on social life of entire community. Basically, health
issues exist in disadvantage society where primary health care services are not available
( McCartan, Dart and Brimblecombe, 2020). Along with it, people are not aware about health
problems and they are being guided by health professional. Besides that, in those community’s
people live in poor environment. Moreover, there and certain other factors as well due to which
issues exist like illiteracy, lack of financial support, etc. There are several community health
issues such as dementia, cancer, mental health and others. So, it is necessary for government to
solve those so that a healthy community is build. This is because if community lifestyle is
improved then it automatically led to enhance in individual social life. However, in order to
solve community health issues, nurse and other health professionals play a vital role. It is
because they are the main pillars who provide and deliver health care services to people.
Furthermore, they are responsible for engaging with community and provide primary health
services. In Australia there are several types of disadvantage community which lives in rural
areas. They are not being provided basic care services (Coleman, Hartz and Dahlen, 2020). Thus,
their mental and physical health is highly affected due to it. When in a community there exists
social issue then it state that basic service is not offered to them.
The one of the major health issues in Aboriginal community is Poor mental health. This
often stems due to condition such as historic dispossession, poor sense of connection to self,
racism and community. This is compounded by the individual's lack of access to meaningful and
ongoing education and employment. Therefore, the Nurses plays the unique role in terms to meet
out the healthcare needs of aboriginal people. There are number of the component that leads
towards to contribute to the poor health outcomes that is mainly experienced by Aboriginal and
3

Torres Strait Islander people in contemporary Australia. In addition to this, the barriers are as:
limited availability, affordability of services, lack of transport, low levels of health awareness
and . cultural appropriateness of services (.Collett, Fraser and Thompson, 2020). Hence, I must
say that primary role of community health nurse is to provide treatment to patients. In addition to
it, community health nurse offer education to community members in terms to offer education to
community members in terms to maintaining their health so that can leads to decrease the
occurrence of death and diseases. Mental health is one of the common issue for the Aboriginal
and strait islander community. This is also crucial to the well being of the individuals, countries
and societies. Mental health is called out as the absence of mental disorders. Mental health must
be integrated into basic nursing and midwifery education (Fredericks, Lee and Mahoney, 2020).
Mental health concepts must be introduced early so that nurses can able to take their
participation in effective manner.
Thus, the health status of the indigenous people is one of the global concern with
mortality and hospitalisation data that is indicating the health of indigenous people (Green,
Abbott and DiGiacomo, 2020). Nurses and midwives plays out the one of major role in
improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the contribution
towards to primary health care and acute care. This has been found out that in the year 2018-19,
31% of Aboriginal people and 23% of Torres Strait Islanders over 18 years reported the
psychological distress.
In addition to this, I mus say that Cultural safety van be defined as a nurse or midwife’s
who works as to understanding his or her own personal culture. This also aids to identify that
how values of personal cultural may impact on the provision of care to individual, regardless of
race or ethnicity. However, the Cultural safety incorporates cultural awareness and cultural
sensitivity that can be facilitate with help of the good communication, acknowledgement of the
diversity of perspectives towards the nationally and internationally among the ethnic groups
(Mackean, Withall and Wilson, 2020). Hence, this can be stated that the nurses and midwives in
Australia are responsible in terms to regulated and accountable to the community for providing
quality care by increasing health care awareness to them. Hence, the Aboriginal people face the
lot of issues towards the health due to improve primary health care service. It is one of the major
cause due to which Indigenous community receiving the poorer health outcomes.

Henceforth, this can be stated that safe, ethical and effective practices can assist to
overcome the issue of poor mental health to aboriginal people (McCartan, Dart and
Brimblecombe, 2020). I must say that Nurses must taken effective steps to close the health gap to
Australians. They must treat people of Aboriginal communities with the same quality care that
can aid them to cope up with the mental stress. I must sat that offering career opportunities for
the Aboriginal people in the field of the Nursing can have the enormous impact on the health
outcomes of Non-indigenous communities. This is crucial for nurses to make themselves evolve
into the culturally community services. Therefore, the main goals of the community health
nursing is to promote, protect and preserve the heath of an individual. With the help of effective
participation of the community health nurse can support to offer education to community
members in terms to maintaining their health so this can lead to decrease the occurrence of
chronic disease. This has been found out that the some of the underlying causes of poor
indigenous health can be attributed to the economic and social exclusion. Low income,
unemployment, poor housing and sanitation and lack of proper nutrition. These are some of the
common factors that affects the health of individuals in huge context (O’Donovan, Namanda and
Bhutta, 2020). Therefore, role of nurse is to tackle the patients who are suffering from the mental
illness and to provide the proper guidance to cope up with mental issue. Thus, it can be stated
that Aboriginal Australians suffers from significantly poorer health outcomes as compared to the
other Australians.
Nurses should be able to communicate information in relation to patients health
effectively. Hence, health promotion by the nurse can lead to many positive health outcomes that
inclusive of adherence, knowledge about the patients, knowledge of illness and self-management
and quality of life. In addition to it, mental health nursing is specialised field of nursing that
mainly put the focus over the working with consumers to out the recovery objectives. Hence, this
can be stated that mental health nurses must works across the full range of clinical and service
setting across the metropolitan, rural and remote areas. In addition to this, mental health nursing
must be flexible and responsive to work with people across the lifespan. I must say that mental
health nurses plays the wide range of nursing roles, responsibilities, functions and
accountabilities. Nursing profession can be defined as the pivotal provides of quality care service
and this is crucial to closing the gap among to the health care and this also leads to successful
5

adoption to optimize health. Hence, I mus say that Nursing practices must be based on four
cultural framework such as knowledge, awareness, skilled practice and behaviour.
In addition to this, community health nursing is crucial to health and welfare of the entire
population. Healthcare care needs to be accessible to each sand everyone. Community health
nurses must promote better education facilities and health awareness so that they can lead
effective and proficient life (O’Donovan, Namanda and Bhutta, 2020). Hence, the participation
can be termed out as the integral part of the community health service. Thus, one of the major
that leads to poor outcomes to heath of people is due to the colonisation that has resulted into
inequality, racism and disruption of the Aboriginal and strait islander people. This kind of
determinants of health continues to significantly affects the Aboriginal and Torres Straits
islander health outcomes to individuals. Nurses plays out the effective role to treat the health of
patients. They must treat individual with culturally diverse individuals to promote proficient and
quality health care.
Hence, this can be stated that partnership, education and advocacy to most respondents to
be the primary role of national nursing enterprise in building leadership capacity among nurse
with aboriginal people. Thus, aboriginal people should have the better primary health care
services that can aids them to aware about their health status. Hence, the role that nurses have in
improving access and use of health services by indigenous individual is one of crucial factor to
promote them better life.
Additionally, this can be stated that participation of local government plays major role in
supporting the objectives of the public health well-being (O’Donovan, Namanda and Bhutta,
2020). This is the act that is framed out to protect, improve and promote better health outcomes
to indigenous community. Thus, NGO's and other health care organisation plays pivotal role as
this leads to reduce the health gap among the aboriginal and non aboriginal Victorians. Hence,
the health gap is the majorly the result of unequal access to opportunities and resources that is
crucial for good and better health services. It is crucial to offer income, education, quality
housing and participation in community activities.
In addition to this, Nurses must get engaging in the treatment of the indigenous people
and this is crucial to listening up their needs that is paramount to success (Mackean, Withall and
Wilson, 2020). However, the nurses must be an active listener, to genuinely seeking the guidance
on how to each and to treat the indigenous patients. However, indigenous Australians are more

likely to suffer than the non indigenous Australians in terms to have mental health issues,
respiratory disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In order to promote them effective
services this is significant to prepare the nurses adequately to meet out the health needs of
Aboriginal individuals. Clinical practice for the aboriginal community can be helpful for
undertaking cross cultural so that effective and better care can be given to patients (Mackean,
Withall and Wilson, 2020).
7

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Mackean, T., Withall, E. and Wilson, A., 2020. Role of Aboriginal Health Workers and Liaison
Officers in quality care in the Australian acute care setting: a systematic
review. Australian Health Review.
McCartan, J., Dart, J. and Brimblecombe, J., 2020. Can integrating Aboriginal health content in
undergraduate nutrition curricula foster student cultural capabilities?. Higher Education
Research & Development, pp.1-16.
Coleman, R., Hartz, D. and Dahlen, H., 2020. The experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Bachelor of Midwifery students: An integrative literature review. Women and
Birth.
Collett, M.J., Fraser, C. and Thompson, S.C., 2020. Developing the future rural nursing
workforce: report on a nursing roundtable. Collegian.
Fredericks, B., Lee, V., Adams, M. and Mahoney, R., 2020. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
health. Professional Nursing and Midwifery Practice [Custom Edition for Monash
University]. p.264.
Green, A., Abbott, P. and DiGiacomo, M., 2020. Collaborating across sectors to provide early
intervention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with disability and their
families: a qualitative study of provider perspectives. Journal of Interprofessional Care.
34(3). pp.388-399.
Mackean, T., Withall, E. and Wilson, A., 2020. Role of Aboriginal Health Workers and Liaison
Officers in quality care in the Australian acute care setting: a systematic
review. Australian Health Review.
McCartan, J., Dart, J. and Brimblecombe, J., 2020. Can integrating Aboriginal health content in
undergraduate nutrition curricula foster student cultural capabilities?. Higher Education
Research & Development. pp.1-16.
O’Donovan, J., Namanda, A.S. and Bhutta, M.F., 2020. Exploring perceptions, barriers, and
enablers for delivery of primary ear and hearing care by community health workers: a
photovoice study in Mukono District, Uganda. International Journal for Equity in
Health. 19. pp.1-18.

9