Table of Contents
Question 1
Regardless of the United States taking different measures to address health issues, the aspect of child mortality and low birth weights at delivery has not been achieved. This is because of the existence of several disparities of children who are born with extremely low body weight. This has been related to differences in ethnicity and cultural aspects of the various individual residing in America. For instance, high rates of low childbirth are higher in African Americans compared to whites. This can be explained by the fact that whites have a better chance of accessing quality medical services compared to black people. This is evident from the kind of discrimination and racism they face due to their ethnic group. Therefore, since they do not have the opportunity of getting improved healthcare services mothers to have fewer chances of knowing the requirements during gestation and childbirth. Importantly, the social groups that are present in the United also facilitate the health of different individuals and thus affecting infants. These extreme low weight during birth is associated with adverse effects in society. This is because they will need more and improved care through regular checks ups in the hospitals. This implies that the costs of living will be high due to increased spending on medical bills. Additionally, the societal members will take a lot of time in nursing the affected individuals and thus affecting their economic activities. Importantly, in most cases, these people tend to have a weak immune system and thus increasing health disparity in the community. Besides, most children do not manage to survive to adulthood which is an adverse effect on their families. The support service responsible for preterm infants and their family members is known as Preemie Parent Alliance (“Preemie Parent Alliance – Meet our Members”, 2016).
Question 2
As a registered community nurse performing health assessment programs, one should make sure that every individual is following the ideal practices that promote healthy living. Therefore, in case I found a mother who is reluctant to breastfeed her newborn baby I will take the initiative of offering counseling services. This will involve a process of interaction through which information as to why she is not choosing to breastfeed her child. This will help in forming a good background on which evidence can be based to provide rational decisions. This is because mother’s milk helps the kid to develop an intact immune system that can help them to fight and resists future infections. This is because it contains antibodies and antimicrobial that are useful in the development of essential organs in the infant’s body. Importantly, it is composed of balanced nutrients that are ideal for promoting growth. Therefore, the mother will be encouraged to breastfeed the children at least for the first six months after birth. However, with or without the mother’s milk the baby can survive only if essential attention is given to them regarding nutrients. The caregivers should ensure that children are getting food supplements that consist of vital nutrients such as vitamin D, B12 and also ensure they receive enough iron to facilitate the formation of hemoglobin. Water should also be given to newborns to make sure that they do not get dehydrated which may harm their health (Eidelman, 2016). The infants also require an adequate amount of calories, proteins, and fats as ingredients for growth and development. Importantly, it is also recommended that sources of fluorine be incorporated in their supplements to ensure effective teeth development.
Nurses have different ways of responding to various ethical dilemmas that they come across in their working environment. This is believed to be associated with personality traits that an individual upholds in the profession. Importantly, knowledge concerning ethical principles and values contributes to their efficiency in addressing major issues. Additionally, this has also been reported to happen due to the previous experiences that they had concerning ethical behaviors (American Nurses Association, [ANA], 2014). This is seen where the fellow nurse was not willing to show the waste medication since there was no supervision around.
- American Nursing Association, (2014). Moral courage in healthcare: Acting ethically even in the presence of risk. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 15(3). Retrieved from: http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol152010/No3-Sept-2010/Moral-Courage-and-Risk.html.
- Eidelman, A. (2016). Breastfeeding: Beyond Nutrition. Breastfeeding Support: Beyond Biology. Breastfeeding Medicine, 11(1), 1-1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2016.29000.eid
- Preemie Parent Alliance – Meet our Members, (2016). Preemieparentalliance.wildapricot.org. Retrieved 15 August 2016, from: http://www.preemieparentalliance.wildapricot.org/page-1862720.