The term vulnerable population has been defined in different contexts by different authors. Vulnerable population includes the less-fortunate members of the society, who need utmost care and protection because of their conditions. Some of the exposed population include the working poor, elderly, children, pregnant women, mentally handicapped, racial and ethnic minorities, and people living with chronic diseases such as HIV/Aids.
Moreover, with the rising cost of healthcare, these individuals have become more vulnerable, hence the formulation of policies that safeguard the exposed population (Mackenzie et al., 2014). Consequently, in America, the number of vulnerable population has increased because of different ethnic groups. The vulnerable people are in both rural and urban areas, some of whom cannot access hospitals due to inadequate finances. However, there are formulated policies that government agencies, medical researchers, and healthcare researchers created to protect the vulnerable population.
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In healthcare practice, privacy is the primary principle protecting the vulnerable population with chronic diseases. Clinicians, for example, have the responsibility to ensure that health records for individuals with chronic conditions remain confidential. Also, clinicians have to consider patients' rights to quality treatment and care. U.S.A is, however, a nation with different ethnic groups, some of whom are the vulnerable minority (De Chesney, Mary, and Barbara 2019). Therefore, the policy of justice and fairness is used in protecting these vulnerable groups. The U.S federal laws do not support racism. Ultimately, in healthcare, for instance, older people who are considered sensitive are given adequate care, and clinicians apply the policy of fairness during treatment. In hospitals, doctors and nurses handle all patients equally, and with honesty. Clinicians do not offer exceptional healthcare to other patients and ignore the vulnerable. All patients are attended to irrespective of the disease.
Discussion 2
As a healthcare provider, ethical values are an essential individual character to determine one's moral values in the nursing profession. Ethical values, therefore, are rules providing a practical foundation for identifying the type of action, intentions, and motives that are valued. Besides, ethics are the primary values determining how people or a person will behave. Also, the focus provided by ethics is whether a healthcare provider will make the right or wrong decision and accept the consequences of those decisions.
Besides, healthcare ethics are valued. Healthcare givers have the responsibility of appreciating healthcare dilemmas. Make sound judgments, and make the right decisions, which will keep them within the laws governing medical decisions (McLean, 2016). Ultimately, nurses and healthcare professionals have specific regulations and rules within the profession. Rules and regulations within nursing and healthcare profession ensure a good relationship between patient's and nurses, and nurses to doctors’ relationship and, therefore, the well-being of the patient.
Ethics states that nurses and healthcare providers promote, advocate, and protect the patient's rights. All healthcare professionals must understand the privacy guidelines concerning the patient's safety and care. A nurse has the responsibility of protecting the patient's identity. A healthcare provider must not reveal the patient's medical records to other healthcare givers. Additionally, the healthcare provider must not share the patient's secret with other patient's, or with the patient's family without the patient's consent (Aries, 2014). In the United States, for instance, such cases may lead to the imprisonment of the nurse who revealed the patient's status.
Moreover, laws protect patient’s rights. Every patient has the right to sue his or her healthcare provider for revealing critical and private information. Besides, healthcare professionals have the responsibility to make decisions, which will ensure adequate care for the patient. Some patients are vulnerable; thus, they cannot care for themselves even after treatment, which is why healthcare professionals have to decide on a post-care for the patient.
References
Aries, E.J. (2014). "Patient safety and quality in healthcare: Nursing ethics for ethics quality. Routledge
De Chesney, M. & Barbara, A. (2019). Caring for the Vulnerable. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Routledge
Mackenzie, C., Wendy, R. & Susan, D. (2014). "Introduction: What is a vulnerability, and why does it matter for moral theory." Vulnerability: New essays in ethics and feminist philosophy. Routledge.
McLean, S. A. (2016). First, not harm: Law, ethics, and healthcare . Routledge.
