The importance of nurses in the healthcare is undeniable and the impact of various figures such as Lillian Wald (1867–1940) could be considered as historical evidence. She worked as a public health nurse and recognized for her work with immigrants and the underprivileged on the Lower East Side tenements (Gunderman, 2022). In 1893, Wald established the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the nation’s first institution for home health care that was supported by the government (Wanyo, 2021). Wald’s efforts aided in the decline of infectious illnesses like typhoid fever, tuberculosis and influenza. Her efforts led to various developments in the field of nursing and now the importance of profession is recognizable among public health nurses and nursing practitioners.
Lillian Wald pushed for reforms in both urban and rural health care. She thought that nurses might enhance people’s lives by giving them high-quality treatment and trying to make the healthcare system better. Wald fought to raise the standard of hospital care and to guarantee that nurses received the instruction and training necessary to deliver high-quality care (Wanyo, 2021). She also promoted the employment of nurse practitioners in rural regions to advocate enhanced healthcare standards (Wanyo, 2021). The reforms of Wald focused on the individual and the environment which allowed to prevent or limit the outbreaks of various pandemics.
The reforms pushed by Wald allowed to progress public healthcare nursing. In both urban and rural settings, public health nurses are crucial allies in the fight for improved medical practices. They aim to raise the standard of care provided in their neighborhoods and guarantee that everyone has access to high-quality care (Leider et al., 2020). They seek to encourage healthy lifestyles and educate the public about healthcare concerns.
Public health nurses have employed a range of lobbying tactics in both urban and rural settings to improve the way that healthcare is provided. Public health nurses have frequently collaborated with neighborhood organizations in urban areas to identify unmet healthcare needs and to create and execute initiatives to address those needs. Public health nurses have frequently collaborated with regional healthcare organizations to increase access to care in rural areas.
Advanced practice nurses with training to care for patients in a range of settings are known as nurse practitioners (NP). They can offer basic care services, perform tests and write prescriptions for medications. Nurse practitioners may enhance people’s lives by giving them high-quality treatment and trying to improve the healthcare system through effort (Bayne et al. 2020). Nurse practitioners have promoted improvements in health care policy using their clinical knowledge and experience. For instance, NPs have pushed for legislations that would allow engagement in practice without the supervision of doctors (Bayne et al., 2020). These demonstrates their active participation in effective change in healthcare.
Major changes in the health care delivery system were taking place as NPs continued to push for reforms that would effect their profession. The ACA is significant part of this change because it expands access to health insurance, which necessitates the hiring of more primary care physicians to satisfy the demand (Brom et al., 2018). The number of senior people in the United States is rising at the same time, and access to care is required due to their growing medical demands (Brom et al., 2018). Primary care doctors, however, are unable to handle the demand (Brom et al., 2018). The ability of nurse practitioners to deliver high-quality, reasonably priced primary care may aid in this situation and acknowledged in the literature and by a number of national organizations (Brom et al., 2018).
In conclusion, advocates for reforms in health care might include public health nurses, nurse practitioners, and other medical personnel. Together, they can broaden access to care and raise the standard of care for everyone. It is possible to consider Lillian Wald as one of the primary figures to engage in reformation of healthcare through nursing practices. After her reforms the healthcare policies started to push for broadened care policies that included individuals and community.
References
Bayne, E., Norris, C., & Timmons, E. (2020). A primer on emergency occupational licensing reforms for combating COVID-19. Mercatus Special Edition Policy Brief. Web.
Brom, H. M., Salsberry, P. J., & Graham, M. C. (2018). Leveraging health care reform to accelerate nurse practitioner full practice authority. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 30(3), 120. Web.
Gunderman, R. B. (2022). Lillian Wald: advocate for children and families. Pediatric Radiology, 52(6), 1026-1028. Web.
Leider, J. P., Meit, M., McCullough, J. M., Resnick, B., Dekker, D., Alfonso, Y. N., & Bishai, D. (2020). The state of rural public health: enduring needs in a new decade. American journal of public health, 110(9), 1283-1290. Web.
Wanyo, C. (2021). Poised and Prepared: Lillian Wald and the Henry Street Settlement Visiting Nurses’ Response to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in New York City [Doctoral dissertation, Pace University].