Assignment Instructions
Explain how health care reform has helped shift the focus from a disease-oriented health care system to one of wellness and prevention. Discuss ways in which health care will continue this trend and explain the role of nursing in supporting and facilitating this shift.
Sample Answer
Explain how health care reform has helped shift the focus from a disease-oriented health care system to one of wellness and prevention.
Healthcare reforms are essential in serving the public interests through the health system. The reforms can be in the form of medical coverage that enhances the affordability and accessibility of healthcare services. One example of healthcare reform in the United States is the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ACA has facilitated the shift from disease orientation to preventing a lot of diseases. In return, this enhances the delivery of care by making available evidence-based practice that eliminates health disparities in the delivery of healthcare services (Ercia, 2021). As the scientific evidence is evolving, the reduction in disability and death due to preventable diseases has decreased significantly. Diseases can be prevented by establishing nutritional and food programs, vaccination clinics, and covered wellness stays. The reforms in healthcare are essential in prioritizing the patient's needs by advancing the provision of high-quality care and this promotes illness prevention.
Discuss ways in which health care will continue this trend and explain the role of nursing in supporting and facilitating this shift.
Healthcare reforms will continue this trend by initiating prevention and wellness programs that make the population healthier and stop any initiation of disease. Nurses play an important role by acting as innovators that shape the safety of care. They collect data that enhances the observations in research and helps the implementation of the Evidence-Based Practice guidelines that enhance the prevention of diseases. Nurses can participate in efforts necessary to redesign the current education programs and promote patient's needs in healthcare. Nurses should advocate for patients' safety and help them stand by their beliefs and refer them to resources such as vaccinations and check-ups (Abu-Baker et al., 2021). Another way in which nurses contribute to the shift of healthcare towards disease prevention and wellness is by engaging in continuous education and professional development to advance their knowledge and skills in delivering Evidence-Based Practice. Additionally, nurses should engage in conferences that will enable them to share knowledge as far provision of high-quality care is enhanced.
References
Abu-Baker, N. N., AbuAlrub, S., Obeidat, R. F., & Assmairan, K. (2021). Evidence-based practice beliefs and implementations: a cross-sectional study among undergraduate nursing students. BMC Nursing, 20(1), 1-8. https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-020-00522-x
Ercia, A. (2021). The impact of the Affordable Care Act on patient coverage and access to care: perspectives from FQHC administrators in Arizona, California, and Texas. BMC health services research, 21, 1-9. https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-021-06961-9