Updated: May 21st, 2024

Employment as a Social Determinant of Health Essay

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Description of Social Determinants of Health Using Reflective Model
Review of Employment
Why NMBA Includes Reflective Practice Within Standards of Practice
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Social determinants of health refer to conditions where individuals are born, live, grow, or work. These consist of factors such as education, socioeconomic status, and employment, among others. A reflective model recommended by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia can help to thoroughly review the SDH. For instance, employment is a social determinant of health of both physical and psychological health. It directly impacts life quality, life expectancy as well as medical care expenses. Working for extended periods can increase the danger of heart conditions, depression, and stroke. Additionally, it decreases productivity and can cause poor cognitive performance. The paper aims to explore employment as a social determinant of health.

Through questions such as what, so what, and now what, the reflective model guides the personal as well as situational analysis. It aids in a better understanding of how different factors affect people’s wellbeing. For instance, in the case of socioeconomic status, it is a basic cause of health disparities since it embodies various resources that protect wellbeing regardless of major factors of morbidity and mortality. According to World Health Organization (2011), examples include knowledge, money, power, prestige, and important social links. Individuals with low incomes are more probably to be recipients of Medicaid or sometimes uninsured, seek medical attention less often or do that only during an emergency.

Education is a social determinant that is strongly related to morbidity, life expectancy, and health behaviors. According to World Health Organization (2011), attainment of education plays a significant role in health in employment, shaping opportunities, and income. According to World Health Organization (2011), when one’s level is low, there is a high chance of poor health, shorter survival when unhealthy, and shorter life expectancy. The proof behind its significance as a determinant of health is among the most convincing.

Neighborhood and physical environment impact the health of a person. It means where people reside, learn, play as well as work. Individuals interact with their physical surroundings via the air they inhale, the houses in which they live, the water they consume, and the transportation they use for traveling (Rolfe et al., 2001). According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2017), pollutants in the environment can lead to medical issues such as heart conditions, respiratory illnesses, and numerous types of cancer. Low-income earners are more probably to reside in polluted places and thus, have unsafe drinking water.

Social support network influences health and comprises family, peers, and friends. It can lead to positive physical and emotional health and aid in dealing with stress (NMBA, 2015). According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2018), a high level of social support can impact medical outcomes positively via psychological and behavioral pathways. It can help to maintain healthy gains one has made, resulting in a healthy lifestyle.

Review of Employment

Difficulty of Refugees to Access Employment

The chosen social determinant of health is employment, and the selected vulnerable group is a refugee group who has arrived in Australia in the last ten years. Individuals who need protection are most probable to have undergone torture and trauma, destitution as well as extended periods in refugee campgrounds (Karlsen, 2016). This means that they may not be in good condition to work. There is a greater chance that they possess psychological and physical issues that make it hard for them to get and sustain jobs (Karlsen, 2016). Additionally, they encounter challenges such as limited English, which makes it difficult to be viewed as fit for particular jobs.

Impact of Unemployment on Health of the Refugees

As suggested earlier, employment, as well as income, directly influence health care expenditure, quality of life, and life expectancy. The connection between health and money a person earns is shown in numerous ways, which all lead to a similar conclusion (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). The poorer an individual is, the less healthy they are, and the more probable they are to die in youth (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). Twenty-two percent of those with a yearly income of below thirty-five thousand dollars report being ill more often in contrast to only five percent of people earning above one hundred thousand every year (Karlsen, 2016). Unemployed youth with higher education degrees have the lowest wellbeing. Additionally, eighty-three percent of fired employees have a higher chance of contracting stress-associated conditions.

Employment status is usually a factor in alternatives for medical insurance. Comprehending the various ways in which it affects health care coverage is a step in exploring chances for the labor force and the industry to cooperate (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). Coverage benefit design and eligibility fluctuate based on the health care payer. For individuals who have medical insurance provided via their employers, the latter determines the type, advantages as well as wellness programs. The majority of them find ways to better working conditions of workers to ensure improved health. Being unemployed means that the refugees miss such opportunities.

How Nurses Can Improve Employability of Refugees

English Classes

It is important that the nurses choose to educate the refugees on better use of English language to improve their proficiency. In Australia, it is difficult for an individual to get employed if they cannot fluently express themselves in English (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). The reason for this is due to their inability to communicate with other people, especially those giving them instructions. Therefore, making English speaking and writing classes available to them would be beneficial for increasing their employability.

Qualifications

Nurses can ensure that they create programs that support the attainment of the work qualifications in Australia. It is known that they may be complex and expensive to obtain (Ziersch et al., 2020). Having those working in the nation already can aid in shaping the refugees for various areas in the employment industry. For instance, one cannot be an architect in the country without passing different tests (Ziersch et al., 2020). The nurses can provide knowledge or create an initiative other professionals can help refugees to understand the type of skills required.

Why NMBA Includes Reflective Practice Within Standards of Practice

Nurses should embrace the reflective practice recommended by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia as it raises self-awareness. This is regarded as the main component of emotional intelligence. It aids in an improved comprehension of other people’s issues. Additionally, it can assist in developing creative thinking capabilities and promotes active engagement in work procedures. By using it to assess employment as a social determinant, it aids in obtaining information on how unemployment can result in insufficient funds. This, in turn, results in poor health due to malnutrition.

Conclusion

The paper has explored employment as a social determinant of health. It has shown that it is important for nurses to find ways to help vulnerable groups in the society regarding factors that influence their health, for example, employment. Lastly, using the reflective practice approach has been seen to be useful as it helps to obtain detailed information that is vital in decision-making. Through reviewing how employment affects health, it is obvious why individuals in a refugee group are at risk of diseases. Unemployment means that there is no income earned, and thus, when an individual becomes sick, they are in danger of succumbing to conditions such as malnutrition.