The globalized world is characterized by various opportunities as well as challenges. Thus, nurses are equipped with various technological advances that enable them to provide high-quality healthcare services and reach larger populations. Lifelong learning is now accessible to everyone. At the same time, the globalized world also means the interaction of different cultures and worldviews as well as people’s constant migration (Hernandez, 2011). The abundance of information also makes the process of knowledge acquisition and sharing quite difficult. The increasing population and economic constraints countries face also create various difficulties for the effective provision of nursing care. Nonetheless, committed nurses can provide high-quality health care services and contribute to the development of society.
My philosophy is deeply rooted in the statement mentioned above. I believe I, being a nursing professional, can make a difference through the provision of care that transcends clinical procedures. I firmly believe that a nurse should have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform various clinical procedures. This healthcare professional should also be able to utilize the most recent technology to facilitate the care provided. This is the minimum requirement as far as I am concerned.
More importantly, the nurse should equip the patient with the necessary knowledge to address their health conditions. The nurse should teach the patient to maintain a healthy lifestyle and cope with health issues that may arise depending on the individual’s health condition. I am an ardent supporter of the idea of prevention. Nurses should make sure they provide all the necessary information concerning ways to prevent the development of some disorders. It is also critical to ensure caregivers’ participation in this process.
Caregivers or close ones should also be aware of ways to support the patient. Furthermore, the nurse should provide emotional and psychological support. The development of proper relationships with the patient is vital for all the stakeholders. I firmly believe that the nurse is the hub that unites the patient, other healthcare professionals, patients’ relatives, the community.
Finally, I also think that the nurse is one of the major drivers of change in the healthcare sphere. Patients often fail to understand what they (or the entire community) lack and they are often discouraged to take active actions to change something due to their health conditions. Hospital administrators and doctors are more concerned with purely healthcare issues, and they often forget that there are people behind all those improvements in the field of clinical practice, technology, management, and so on. Officials also tend to concentrate on some global issues without noticing urgent problems existing in the community. Therefore, the nurse is the one who knows what the community lacks and can undertake the necessary steps to change the situation.
It is possible to consider one of the common problems for the US to illustrate the way my philosophy can translate into particular actions and real improvements. It has been acknowledged that the incidence of tuberculosis has decreased significantly during the past years (Sun, 2016). Globalization is one of the reasons for that trend as people born abroad are often prone to the development of the disease. For instance, Asian immigrants often develop this disorder, which can pose a significant threat to public health in the country (Sun, 2016). It is clear that these populations have less access to high-quality healthcare services, and their living conditions (including diets and exercise) are also.
Being a nurse, I can contribute to the development of the solution to the problem. First, I can have a local impact by providing care to the infected and teach them to avoid being infected in the future. The information concerning the healthy diet, the necessary amount of exercise, and hygiene can be beneficial for patients as well as their caregivers and close ones. Many patients are not fluent in English, and the language barrier can undermine my effort. However, I can develop several leaflets and posters in English and some Asian languages (Taiwanese, Japanese, and Mandarin, for example).
These materials will have visuals that will help patients grasp the information. Of course, I am not fluent in all those languages, but I am sure any hospital has an employee who is fluent in one of these. More so, there are online forums and social networks as well as translation tools that can help in the development of these materials. I will initiate a community-wide awareness program to cover larger populations and contribute to efficient prevention.
The materials developed (leaflets and posters) can be distributed within the community. The church and non-profits can be an effective platform to communicate my message. I will try to gather a team of like-minded nursing professionals who will participate in the program that will involve the distribution of leaflets and discussions of the problem and ways to avoid being infected.
On balance, it is possible to note that I am committed to contributing to the development of the community and the entire globalized society. I will provide high-quality care and support to people in need. I will also try to share my knowledge with people, which will have a positive effect on the quality of their life.
References
Hernandez, B.L.M. (2011). Foundation concepts of global community health promotion and education. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Sun, L.H. (2016, March 24). TB cases increase in U.S. for first time in 23 years. The Washington Post.