Interview Selection
The interview was conducted on July 20, 2018. The interviewee was a managed 75 years old. He had several health complications such as chronic diabetic foot ulcer, osteomyelitis, and DVT. Having agreed to sign the consent form the interviewee was interviewed at the ED where he had come for medication.
The patient's health status had deteriorated and had developed a serious wound on his lower left leg because of his inability to access medical checkup due to lack of transportation and finance to purchase a new blood thinner after his stock was out.
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He expressed his disappointment at the emergency department where he was discriminated against because of his chronic illness. He attributed his present condition to his inability to replenish prescription for Xarelto. Since then, the patient's condition has progressed from worse to worse having to lie on a bed for some period. He has tried antibiotics but the wound is still with him. His lower left leg has become very problematic such that walking has become very challenging. He has lost concern for himself and any hope of getting help from anyone since he has tried to raise cries for help but no one gets concerned. He is afraid that if his condition is not cared for in time he will lose either his toes or his foot to amputation.
The aged man is representing the old in the society. He is also representing the poor minority who are incapable of accessing health insurance coverage and basic medical needs.
The questionnaire used was open-ended allowing the patient to openly disclose information at his will. However, he was guided throughout the process.
Interview Findings
Discrimination against Age and Poverty Lines
The vulnerability occurs along lines like poverty, old age, race, sex, and so forth (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Therefore, the nursing community should form connections with the policies makers and push for policy agendas that can transform the health society to include care for the rich and the poor, the young and the old alike (Miller, 2009). The old in the society can be neglected given their little or no contribution to the country’s economy; nonetheless, they are human beings with the right to life. The nursing community cannot take sides in such a political stunt. They, as the guardians of community health, must instigate, push for, and inspect the formation of policies to protect the health of all.
Neglect at the Hospital
The manner in which the health community in the emergency department has treated the 75-year-old patient is disappointing and demeaning. It demonstrates a lack of concern for the adversely poor and sick minority. It symbolizes a loss of focus for the main goal as to which the nursing community has been established. The narrative gives a bad picture of the nursing community even if those who expressed such demeaning attitudes were only administrators. The nursing department, nationwide, should be at the front in ensuring the health of the nation is defended. The nurse and the patient understand the circumstances, health conditions, pressure, and the environment under which they work in order to achieve or provide a better health to the public. The nursing department should provide guidance to the society, the sick and the government on ways forward to ensure that the society and the sick are protected through better policies (Institute of Medicine, 2011). The nursing community should advise the aged and the poor to avail themselves for the affordable health care act (ACA) or advise them on the best affordable health insurance covers in the market (Mims, Pederson & Gold, 2015). They should be informants educating the population and notifying them on any open window for ACA (Mims, Pederson & Gold, 2015)
Neglect by the Society
The lack of response from the side of the community is a sign of neglect. The society is not taking proper care of the old. It is the duty of the nursing community to reach out to the society through narrative case stories like the old man’s to create empathy in the heart of the public (Miller, 2009). Such initiatives can create concern among the public.
Reflection
The interview with the interviewee was beneficial to my career and I. Through the interview, I discovered that there is slow progress in addressing the plight of the vulnerable groups. Perhaps most nurses believe that their responsibility begins and stops at the health facility with the patients. I learned that my duty as a nurse goes beyond the facility, to the home and society where the patient lives. In order to achieve a successful health result with a patient, the environment to which he goes after visiting the health facility is also important. We can be doing our best at the health facility but if the patient is not cared for at home our efforts will be reduced to nothing. Therefore, I realized that I should establish links with persons at the government offices, groups interested in public health and personnel at the nursing faculty who are inspired to have everybody receive an affordable health service and safe society. Such links will help me make contributions both at the health facility and at the society.
Conclusion
The case of the 75-year-old man has revealed a great weakness in now the society and the nursing facility attend to vulnerable groups particularly the aged in those cases. The society and the nursing facility should make the necessary amendments to ensure that the aged are cared for appropriately. Such a change can be brought about effectively with the contribution of nurses to the health facility, society level and at the government level in pushing for policy changes. In my position as a practicing nurse, I will strive to unite with groups interested in the society's welfare particularly the vulnerable groups in the pursuit of equality in health administration and safer caring society.
References
Institute of Medicine (2011). The future of nursing: leading change, advancing health . New York, NY: National Academies Press
Miller, C. A. (2009). Nursing for wellness in older adults . New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Mims, A. D., Pederson, J. C., & Gold, J. A. (2015). Healthcare changes and the affordable care act: a physician call to action quality improvement organizations . In Healthcare Changes and the Affordable Care Act (pp. 13-31). Springer, Cham.
