The Affordable Care Act (ACA) otherwise known as Obamacare, is a legislative health care provider that aims to improve the financial burdens that communities face. It creates an incentive for employers to provide health insurance and requires that nearly all people not covered by their employer or a government insurance program, enroll in Medicare or Medicaid, or purchase private health insurance (Schrek 2016).

      The most important element regarding this Act is the pre-existing condition coverage. It means that Health insurers can no longer deny coverage or charge more for services, once the insurance is bought and there’s a pre-existing condition like cancer or diabetes (U.S Department of Health & Human Services, 2017). This Act also aims to provide health insurance for those who would not have otherwise had the money. The role of the community and public health is to offer pre-screening for diseases, preventative care, and low-cost services that will benefit all the people.

      The role of the nurse in implementing this law is to advocate for patients to seek accessible health care and to seek preventative care even if they are healthy. For example, holding Fairs and Health information sessions to help with educating the community about vaccinations for the flu virus during the flu season, pre-screening for high blood pressure and annual health checks. Nurses play a role in the mission of the ACA, nationally and globally, provide equitable health care and the reduction of health disparities (Green 2018). The nursing profession is crucial in educating and taking care of the public. The American Nurses Association (ANA), is very supportive of the Affordable Care Act and upholds any court decisions. The ANA is “actively engaging with federal policymakers and regulators to advocate for system transformation” (ANA 2014).

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1 postsRe: Topic 5 DQ 1

International Federal (2019) defines disaster as a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Disasters, whether natural or manmade, can take a significant toll on an individual or community, causing short and long-term distress (Falkner, 2018). Spiritual considerations surrounding a disaster is different for individuals and communities, because of their unique beliefs. Different cultures may respond differently to disasters, whether it is by praying, crying, doubting God, thinking that they are being punished by God, etc. If a disaster were a terrorist attack (manmade), people of different cultures may hold grudges and hate towards a certain ethnic group.

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, basic needs must be met before psychological and self-fulfillment needs. For a nurse to assist with spiritual care, he or she must have the patient in safety and make sure that they had water, food, warmth, shelter, rest, and security. Correct me if I’m wrong, but we most likely would not assess a patient about spiritual needs if they are panicking and are in the middle of receiving medical care.

Spiritual considerations can arise surrounding any natural disaster by those who are impacted. Many problems that can arise during natural disasters would be destruction of homes, churches, religious centers, and sacred landmarks. Many cultures and religions hold special sentiments towards certain structures and the destruction of these could cause great loss and may affect the spirituality of individuals in a community. Disasters cause death in the hundreds or thousands and will cause devastation for many people who then may require spiritual support to help them cope with the loses.

A community health nurse can assist in the spiritual care of the individual, community, self, and colleagues in many ways. First, nurses should take care of themselves and be aware of their own emotional health before they could help others. Nurses must be aware of cultural differences and adjust their care according to their beliefs. Nurses are also expected to create a healing environment for the physical and spiritual self, which respects human dignity (Minority Nurse, 2013). Advocation can take place when a nurse finds a chaplain to provide psychological and spiritual support. Simple interventions, such as holding an individual’s hand and providing empathy and silence can be beneficial for one and provide reassurance. Taking the time to pray with individuals of a community can also provide support.

References

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Elizabeth Homrighausen 1 postsRe: Topic 4 DQ 2

Health care systems in the United States are quite complex. There are insurance companies that dictate what cares they cover, which providers and which medications. When thinking about the multiple players that contribute to the delivery of health care services, we must analyze if the it is adequate for the patients needs. “The USA is currently the only high-income country without nearly universal health-care coverage. Attempts to achieve universal health coverage have been made since the 1940s but – apart from the development of Medicare and Medicaid (which provides coverage for the poor, near-poor residents, including children, pregnant women, parents, seniors and individuals with disabilities) in 1965 – little progress had been made before the implementation of the ACA (Affordable Care Act)”(Rice , et al., 2014). According to Rice, Medicare and Medicaid cover approximately 30% of the population, and in 2012 about 18% were uninsured.

“The ACA is much more than just a health insurance law. It touches on almost every aspect of the delivery of the health service and was designed to encourage more primary care, to promote a greater focus on quality and prevention, and to encourage doctors, hospitals and other providers to coordinate care through new entities called accountable care organizations” (Rice , et al., 2014). I believe that the ACA will not completely fix our health care problems, but it is certainly a start. One of down falls to the ACA is higher premium costs for patients with private insurance causing financial burden for the middle-class families. The great thing about the ACA is that it promotes health by having insurance companies cover the costs of preventive care. The role of nurses is to advocate for our patients well being and educate on the importance of health promotion and the continuation of health care needs. We must also help inform them what their health insurance covers as far as care, many patients don’t entirely know what all their insurance will and will not cover. 

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This is a discussion post, about 250 WORDS, tittle page not require In- text citation is required original work please, scholarly references are required for this assignment, website source strongly preferred.

QUESTION 2: What can you do to encourage collaboration and demonstrate stewardship

Consider your current work environment and your role as a member of the health care team. What can you do to encourage collaboration and demonstrate stewardship?. A minimum of THREE academic references from credible sources are required for this assignment

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This is a discussion post, about 250 WORDS, tittle page not require In- text citation is required original work please, scholarly references are required for this assignment, website source strongly preferred.

QUESTION 2 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), and The Joint Commission (TJC) require that health care organizations maintain risk management programs to address infection control. Detail three measures that your health care organization (or any health care organization) needs to address in the delivery of safe health care services. (Example: Placing hand washing devices at all of the public entrances of the health care facility). Support your response with a minimum of three peer-reviewed references 

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