Introduction
Vulnerable populations are groups of people who need special treatment by health care providers. Such people cannot protect their interests, so they need outside care. The main indicators that allow us to classify people as vulnerable are their social status, income level, sexual preference, presence or absence of insurance, and citizenship. The main purpose of this essay is to compare different vulnerable social groups and to describe one such group to determine the right approach to working with such patients.
Discussion
In the U.S., we can distinguish the main vulnerable groups: refugees and immigrants, people below the poverty line, sexual minorities, and uninsured and partially insured people. When comparing them, it is possible to see that each of these groups has distinctive characteristics. LGBTQ+ communities have higher rates of HIV/AIDS, and in immigrant-dominated groups, language barriers become an issue for nurses (Grand Canyon University (Ed), 2018). The main common trait for vulnerable populations is prejudice and discrimination higher than other U.S. residents. Due to this, nurses must adhere to certain ethical principles: compassion, understanding of the risks to the patient’s psyche, and a unique and friendly approach to each individual.
The largest vulnerable group is the impoverished population. Statistics show that approximately 40 million (12,7 percent) Americans live below the poverty line (Grand Canyon University (Ed), 2018) People with limited financial means cannot afford basic things, including food and water. The nurse needs to make sure that these needs are met before providing medical care. (Grand Canyon University (Ed), 2018). It requires cooperation with social organizations and city authorities. When these needs are met, doctors can focus on education in disease prevention, considering the patient’s characteristics.
Conclusion
For members of vulnerable populations, the support of healthcare providers is very important. When working with these populations, nurses need to consider some ethical issues. Many members of these groups face discrimination and are very sensitive to criticism. In this case, the help of public health nurses can be especially helpful, as health workers act as patient advocates promoting health equity and as educators. This pedagogical work is important to avoid possible serious health problems in vulnerable populations in the future.
Reference
Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). Community & public health: The future of health care. Web.