Introduction
Non-profit public health organizations employ donations and private funding, which they mostly obtain from these sources, to advance fair access to healthcare. Non-profit organizations have existed and served local and international communities throughout history. As an illustration, these organizations have consistently promoted and carried out vaccination campaigns among the populace, which has significantly lowered the prevalence of critical illnesses like polio, measles, malaria, etc (Hutchinson, 2018). To address disparities in community health care access, advance the local community’s health and safety, and inform people about health issues, this effort is crucial.
The Non-Profit Organizations and Government Policies
One such group that promotes social equality and seeks to identify marginalized population groups is the American Red Cross. These variables include social standing, the natural environment, one’s financial level, one’s access to healthcare, and one’s diet. The Red Cross works to provide a quicker response, greater distribution of safety precautions, and access to medications for those who most need them. In this context, it is affected by government’s health policies. Even though the group does not express any political, religious, or ideological views in order to offer support, it adheres to national standards of medical care. For example, when working with local communities, local health legislation has the priority over organization’s principles.
Policies
In order to be able to conduct its operations in accordance with its ideals, the American Red Cross also upholds an independent policy. Making a profit or receiving another type of payment is finally refused since the organization is guided by the principles of voluntarism and voluntary help (Hutchinson, 2018). Additionally, the Red Cross is a single, worldwide organization that aids everyone and is accessible to everyone (Hutchinson, 2018). The organization’s volunteers work in more than 200 nations in accordance with its goal and shared ideals. The organization is working closely with governmental legislation, including HIPAA. For example, sharing patient information to increase the benefits of the health provision is also upheld by American Red Cross.
Funding
The Red Cross is a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization, according the US Congress’s authorization. As a “federal instrument” carrying out governmental mandates, the organization enjoys a particular relationship with the federal government (Hutchinson, 2018). The Red Cross is an independent organization because it relies on direct donations rather than on regular government help, despite the requirement to abide by state rules. To implement certain projects that will be funded from the budget, the government may enter into a contract with the Red Cross.
Nurse Work and American Red Cross
The American Red Cross has a huge labor shortage, particularly in the medical field. More than 13,000 nurses and healthcare professionals are employed by the organization, and they play a crucial role in blood donation, disaster relief, and military hospital service (Barton, 2022). Nurses also participate in training, local health initiatives, and educational programs. The Red Cross is continually in need of fresh volunteers who can help treat injured people and teach others the fundamentals of first aid. Nurses who are currently working or in training can apply on the Red Cross website to join one of the organization’s programs and receive free training.
American Red Cross and Nurse Code of Ethics
The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization that assists people in different circumstances, including during wartime and natural disasters, as well as the military and their families. In times of crisis, the American Red Cross seeks to minimize suffering among people. The Red Cross helps to increase public health and safety by objectively identifying areas that are experiencing major crises and supplying resources, including volunteers, medical professionals, medications, and other essential supplies and equipment (Smith & Grove, 2017). These principles are very similar to the key elements of Code of Ethics for nurses. The close connection between them are beneficial in promotion of healthcare for affected communities.
American Red Cross
Values
Since the organization is international in scope, one of its principles is to support individuals in need anywhere in the globe, regardless of race, nationality, or religion (Hutchinson, 2018). Every person is deserving of the right to a good life, according to the impartiality values that the Red Cross upholds. As the Red Cross assists people in challenging political and military situations, neutrality is another significant tenet of the organization (Hutchinson, 2018). These frameworks of values reflect Healthy People 2030 social determinants. The strongest emphasis is made on two domains – Healthcare and Community Context.
Influence and Challenges
There are numerous instances of national and local programs that support social welfare and medical care. The organization is able to promptly respond to incidents and send volunteers to assist people since it has sizable funding and a robust structure. The Red Cross engages in educational and preventive initiatives in addition to providing assistance to persons in need. The group also takes proactive steps to fight poverty and social inequality as well as prepare for crises (Pellegrino et al., 2020). The Red Cross provides accessible healthcare and educational initiatives for the benefit of local communities. The organization is facing numerous challenges due to its proactive stance. These can include preventing employee fraud and taking into account all stakeholders project’s interests.
Factors of Equal Opportunity Promotion
The Red Cross bases its decision over where to provide aid entirely on a multidimensional study of the situation in terms of the gravity of the effects and the number of victims, in accordance with its core values. The decision of where to direct assistance is unaffected by additional variables such as ethnicity, nationality, religion, political affiliation, or gender (Pellegrino et al., 2020). Additionally, the organization fosters cooperation and cross-cultural exchange by recruiting volunteers from all over the world. Because volunteer training is free, there are no social, cultural, or financial obstacles for accessing the services of the organization.
Conclusions
By removing and minimizing health hazards, investing in citizen education and resource access enhances community health as a whole. The community can get care and assistance from local and international non-profit groups, which nurses and other healthcare professionals should be aware of. Such groups abound, ranging from large international initiatives like the Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders to numerous small local humanitarian start-ups. By assisting those in need owing to social, economic, and political situations, members of these organizations can help restore social equality.
References
Barton, C. (2022). The Red Cross in Peace and War. DigiCat.
Hutchinson, J. F. (2018). Champions of charity: War and the rise of the Red Cross. Routledge.
Pellegrino, J. L., Charlton, N. P., Carlson, J. N., Flores, G. E., Goolsby, C. A., Hoover, A. V., Kule, A., Magid, D. J., Orkin, A. M., Singletary, E. M., Slater, T. M. & Swain, J. M. (2020). 2020 American Heart Association and American Red Cross focused update for first aid. Circulation, 142(17), 287-303.
Smith, S. L., & Grove, C. J. (2017). Bittersweet and paradoxical: Disaster response volunteering with the American Red Cross. Non-profit Management and Leadership, 27(3), 353-369.