In the first part of the nineteenth century and especially the twentieth century, a philanthropic impetus of wealthy American women led to considerable changes in the healthcare system. The germ theory and the understanding of potential hazards related to infection spread made certain groups of society take action to protect their communities (Dieckmann, 2020). Social justice can be defined as a concept concerned with values and moral codes, as well as particular measures to follow the established ethical principles. Although some see efforts aimed at establishing social justice as socialized medicine or even communism, this perspective is rather far-fetched. Social justice refers to communities’ (and individuals’) efforts to make sure that all groups have equal access to basic resources (Gross, 2020). The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to pursue happiness to all, so all groups, including vulnerable cohorts, should be able to exercise this right.
The existing healthcare system is not fair in many respects and needs major changes. Some people, due to social, economic, political, and historical issues, can hardly access quality care. It is important that all people could earn their living and pay for their expenses, but it is also critical to help those in need. In various situations, people need time to recover from diverse negative circumstances (including illness). During these periods, communities should be there to support vulnerable groups and help them receive the care they need to contribute to the development of society when they are able to do so. A magic wound could first be used to amend the way funds are allocated. Lots of unnecessary services are provided and ineffective programs are being implemented. These funds could be allocated to support low-income communities and incorporate them into American society. Nurses should continue advocating for social justice and suggest strategies to fix the system, which can make the system truly fair.
References
Dieckmann, J. (2020). History of public health and public and community health nursing. In M. Stanhope & J. Lancaster (Eds.), Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.) (pp. 22-44). Elsevier.
Gross, M. (2020). Application of ethics in the community. In M. Stanhope & J. Lancaster (Eds.), Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.) (pp. 149-164). Elsevier.