Question

What advocacy behaviors do students envision themselves taking for patients without access to healthcare and why?

In looking at what the future holds for healthcare and our discussions on the use of Telemedicine, Medical Home, Concierge Medicine and wearable technology, what do you think feels like the most important futuristic idea that will enhance our healthcare system and why?

How will the aging of the Baby Boomers affect your future practice in Healthcare?

Answer 1

1. Nursing advocacy for patients in need is considered an ethical obligation of the nurse. Sometimes when the situation demands a nurse needs to speak up and advocate for his patient. Such situations may arise when the patient is unable speak for himself, take right decisions or has less power to do so.

Healthcare facility access is necessity. But A large number of population still do not have access to the healthcare. Such patients face regular health challenges and poor quality of health. The access to healthcare may be limited due to lack of knowledge and awareness or lack of funds. Sometimes healthcare facilities are denied to patients due on discriminations based on caste, color or gender. Nurses needs to advocate for such patients to mitigate one of the mentioned barriers.

The advocacy behaviours are completely based on the interests of the patient. Such behaviours revolves around the basic needs and concerns of the patient. The advocacy behaviour by the nursing students includes providing information and knowledge about healthcare services, policies and rights, helping and supporting the patient in accurate decision making, protecting the patient against violation of rights, discriminations and abuse.

2. Wearable technologies is one of the most important futuristic ideas that will strengthen the healthcare.

Wearable technologies can be defined as smart electronic devices making use of information technology that can be worn as accessories or attached to the clothes.

These wearable technologies are creating a huge market demands. They are helpful in keeping track of health parameters in healthy as well as unhealthy individuals. Some of things that are kept in track by wearable technology are activity level, heart rate, pulse, BP, respiratory rate, blood alcohol content, exercise performance, oxygen saturation.

3. Baby boomers are the category of U.S. population born between early- to mid-1940s and ending anywhere from 1960 to 1964.

Ageing of baby boomers will increase the healthcare demands. As the ageing population is more probe to illness, disabilities and infections it will increase the work pressure and load on healthcare. The increased demand will lead to new opportunities in the field of healthcare. The healthcare employees will be in great demand. New and enormous job opportunities will be seen. Also the medical field dealing with geriatics and their problems will grow tremendously.