Global Health Discussion
In this discussion, students will reflect on the aspects of global health that are affecting them and other citizens as a result of our current global health pandemic.
Assignment Directions: Click on the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner to view the grading rubric. Overall, points are awarded based on the quality of the posts and the degree to which the submissions contribute to class discussion. Students must show evidence of engagement throughout the discussion and postings should reflect application of the assigned lesson materials. Peer-reviewed references, evidence (results of formal inquiry published in the literature), and current statistical data should be included as needed.
/2 Write a reflection of your concerns, feelings, or perspective from at least two of the many “hats” that you wear (eg, student, parent, child of an older adult, healthcare provider, citizen, etc.).
/2 Discuss the variations and/or inequities in vaccine uptake for certain populations (eg, minority, intellectual disability, rural residing, etc.). Provide examples of population-specific strategies to improve rates of vaccination and explain why they are effective.
/2 Identify a problem that APRNs will increasingly face as a result of the pandemic (eg, opioid misuse, intimate partner violence, child abuse) and summarize up-to-date information on its prevalence and explain how the pandemic increased its incidence.
/2 Has your perspective on the responsibility of the U.S. to participate in global health changed because of coronavirus. How and why?
/1 Leave your classmates with at least one way that you have learned to take better care of yourself over the last year or a self-care goal you have set for yourself.
/1 Respond to at least one (1) of your classmates’ posts. Resources are not required for cross posts unless you present information that needs to be cited and referenced.
Sample Answer
Global Health
Personal Reflection
The health sector plays a central role in our lives and our country’s economy, and this is the most crucial department that all concerned stakeholders should handle with diligence. Global health refers to the health status of the worldwide population; it entails extensive research and practices that aim to improve healthcare quality and enhance health equity for all globally (Hall and Roussel, 2020). Global health is crucial in national security as it bridges conflicts across borders and enhances universal economic growth. The current coronavirus pandemic is a menace to global health since it has had detrimental impacts in the USA and all nations worldwide. According to, the USA’s Global Health initiative has been successfully establishing multiple party leadership that aim at attaining the global health goals, to protect not only the Americans but also the entire population worldwide (Ruchman et al., 2016). Fighting the global pandemic means the American federal government will aim to save the lives of the Americans, save those in the entire world and help restore the global economy.
In my view, as a parent, frontline healthcare provider, and a loyal citizen of my dear country USA, I feel the experience and impacts of the pandemic are daunting to date. The encounter that shattered all sectors of the economy; education, finance, national and global health, migration and tourism, and majorly the social and leisure life of people caught many countries unawares. The USA being among the biggest countries in the world in development and innovation, should be adequately prepared to tackle the emergence of such unprecedented pandemics in all sectors. Irrespective of the problems linked to healthcare provision in the USA, like the inequities in access, and exaggerated insurance bills, the country has taken crucial measures to salvage the US and the globe against the pandemic. Issues of health inequalities and the inability to protect the domestic population and healthcare providers have been raised against the federal government of the USA (Ruchman et al., 2016).
Nevertheless, the efforts made by the federal, state, and local government to help save the lives of many Americans and restore the economy to normalcy within a short period is worth noting. Ensuring that learners resumed classes online amidst the school closures saved us, parents, the frustrations and panics. The safety of the healthcare providers was not guaranteed, but the government’s support was felt. The willingness and support offered by the US government to developing and vulnerable countries through monetary and resource support is worthwhile. The USAID estimates that the government spends an average of $9billion to strengthen the fight against Covid-19 worldwide. In addition to helping solve the global pandemic, the government should also take practical steps in ensuring that all Americans are healthy and safe by addressing all the healthcare issues voiced.
Variations and Inequities in Vaccine Uptake for Certain Populations
Reports of inequities and societal discrimination, especially against the minorities and the indigent rural populations, are common in the USA. This necessitates the pursuit of equity and the provision of justice across all sectors of the economy. Covid-19 vaccines are essential in the fight against the pandemic, and ensuring an equal distribution of the vaccines will result in a massive reduction in Covid-19 related deaths. Despite the government’s call for vaccination of all Americans and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the specific vaccines, statistics reveal that intake is still lower among the minority groups like Latinos and African Americans (Webb et al., 2021). This has been coupled with hesitancy and inequities in the distribution of vaccines. As the government partakes in the mass distribution of vaccines to countries across the globe, vital measures that address the willingness and perceptions of the hesitant groups should be addressed by creating awareness and implementing educational podia on the significance of the vaccines to outdo the misconceptions spread among the minority groups. Availing more various vaccines specifically to the hesitant minority groups will suffice the inequity in access.
Anticipated Problems of APRNs due to Covid-10 Pandemic
The American Nurses Association (ANA) believes in the American nurses in helping the country solve various health problems. Covid-19 came at a time when the nursing fraternity was to celebrate the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) designated ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife, 2020’, only to be faced with a life-threatening epidemic with the nurses being in the frontline (WHO, 2020). The epidemic caused a blow to all types of registered nurses. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are exceptionally trained to diagnose, evaluate, command interpretation of diagnostic tests, initiate and manage treatment and care under the direct authority of the Board of nursing or any similar body (Kleinpel et al., 2021).
Covid-19 has been an added barrier to the APRNs’ nursing practice, despite being a pathway for further research and evidence-practice on pathogens and curbing such emergent pandemics. During the whole period, APRNs have been forced to sacrifice their enjoyment and time with their families and even their lives by risking contracting the virus in the care delivery process (Kleinpel et al., 2021). WHO reports that 88% of RNs were going through anxiety and depression posed by the uncertainty of the threats caused by the pandemic (2020). The safety of the APRN practice in the line of duty with the many regulatory legislations without involvement subject the nurses to psychological instability. Many have been battling burnouts and depression in silence (Hall and Roussel, 2020). Advocating for policy transformations that support APRNs’ safety and mental wellness during their practice is vital.
