Hispanic Populations
The Hispanic population differs from one state to another in America. According to 2022 statistics, California has the highest population of 15.57 million people, followed by Texas, which has 11.52 million people, and Florida, which has a population of 5.66 million (Adame et al., 2022). Most Hispanic people who reside in the United States of America immigrated to these states, but others were also born in the United States of America.
Health-Related Problems Encountered by the Poor and Uninsured in the Hispanic Population
The Hispanic population has encountered problems accessing health services due to poor economic life, and many have not considered insuring their lives. The health care services in the US are usually facilitated through employer-based insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. Historically, most Hispanics, especially those in the three states, have less access to health services and face many health problems (Adame et al., 2022). These health complications include being at risk of infectious diseases, obesity, and teen pregnancy. Recent reports indicate that most Hispanics are faced with heart diseases, cancer, and high blood pressure, among others that contribute to many deaths. Due to poor health conditions, most of them cannot afford to access these health services, making them prone to more diseases.
Socio-Economic Factors that Impact Healthcare Decision-Making and their Outcomes in the Hispanic Population
Evidence shows that social and economic factors are critical determinants of the heath of a population. Most of the Hispanics in these states have not completed high school education, around 1 in 4 live below the poverty line, and some are not well conversant with English speaking. These people are prone to high poverty rates and less education, and most of them cannot afford to cater to their daily lives. These social-economic factors often lead to limited access to critical information causing improper treatment and thus making it difficult for most of the population to acquire health care. The socio-economic factors are vital in describing society’s well-being and determining the living standards among the people.
Cultural Diversity Existing Between and among Immigrant Populations and the Implications for Nurses
The increased immigration among the Hispanic population has led to an increase in cultural diversity, affecting their response to health care provided by nurses. The cultural diversity and ethnic backgrounds of various patients among this population dictate their views of diseases and their overall perception of health and health outcomes. For instance, cultural Hispanics in California are more likely to attribute breast cancer to evil behaviors, including alcohol and drug abuse. Moreover, in Bronx, NY, Hispanic health home attendants realized that 58% of the people believed that breast cancer surgical treatment would lead it to metastasize (Bravo et al., 2022). Such norms and beliefs may limit many in accessing appropriate health care. Thus, nurses should be ready to learn cultural values to help them appropriately. The nurses can learn about the traditional healers’ contribution to understanding how people view the various modernized treatments.
Cultural Differences, Language Barriers, and Poverty Impact Healthcare Access
Many factors affect patients’ access to health for the Hispanic population in the US. For instance, cultural differences affect people’s health behaviors and beliefs since most people have co-cultural differences based on race and ethnicity. Ethnic minorities tend to have declined access to health care, and most of them lack trust in the health professionals, which primarily affects their health care experiences. Language barriers contribute a lot to the health care access among these people. Since most people are immigrants, expressing their health needs poses a challenge in understanding the US health care system. Most immigrants find the health care systems intimidating and frustrating, limiting their access to proper medication. As a result of the high poverty levels experienced by Hispanics living in California, Texas, and Florida, most people lack enough money to purchase insurance for catering to their medical needs and eat proper and recommended foods; this limits their access to health care.
Lost Boys of Sudan
Due to a civil war that arose in 1987 in Southern Sudan, around 20,000 young boys flew from their families and villages. The majority of these boys were six or seven years old, and they were forced to escape to Ethiopia to avoid death, where they walked over a thousand miles (Mabeya, 2019). They settled in the Kakuma refugee camp, and these survivors of the civil war were regarded as the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” Therefore, the US State Department designated the lost boys of Sudan who remained in Kakuma, Kenya, and resettled them in the United States.
Health Challenges a Nurse May Encounter in Refugees
Nurses face several health challenges in providing medical care to refugees. Health is often considered an essential aspect concerning the mobility of individuals from one country to another. Refugees are likely exposed to various diseases in forced migration since health access is usually a challenge (Kavukcu & Altıntaş, 2019). Therefore, nurses might find it hard to control all the associated diseases and challenge the language barrier among the refugees. Some communicable diseases likely associated with refugees include measles, blood-borne diseases, and salmonella, which mainly spread through food, insect bites, and skin contact. These people also face non-communicable diseases, including heart diseases, chronic kidney disease, and cataracts. Nurses tasked with providing care to these refugees may find it difficult to control such people with diseases due to their limited resources.
Cultural Considerations a Nurse Should Consider when Caring for Patients
To provide sufficient health care to the Lost Boys of Sudan in their refugee camps, nurses must care for them according to their cultural beliefs and norms. Being diverse and multicultural necessitates recognizing and differentiating personal opinions and ideas. The following cultural variables must be considered when admitting palliative care to patients who are refugees. This includes religious differences among the group of people, personal trauma or past experiences of the patients, and some people mistrust health care services and the language barriers among the people. These cultural considerations also include their convictions toward health care, where many refugees do not recognize the health professions due to their standards. Education among the people is also an important aspect to consider since most educated people can quickly seek medical advice whenever possible. Therefore, the nurse should be vigilant in addressing these cultural issues before admitting any medical health service to the patients of the population. Understanding these matters helps nurses avoid prejudicing people’s opinions and behaviors.
Nurse’s Role in Providing Resources when Caring for Members of this Population
Practitioner initiatives involve operating adjustments tailored to the refugee’s requirements, inter care, and complete modalities and encompass the skills and abilities needed to address severe healthcare difficulties. Strategies that evaluate and respond only to the person at the center can be conducted with excellent nurse leadership and patient care. As a result, thorough consideration is provided for all facets of refugee care. Therefore, the nurse can educate the refugees on proper hygiene and help them avoid contracting communicable and noncommunicable diseases. This can be done by providing educational reading materials and preventive measures for appropriate health. A good check on the refugees displays a sense of love for them, and most people respond positively to such help.
References
Adame, J. L., Lo, C. C., & Cheng, T. C. (2022). Ethnicity and self-reported depression among Hispanic immigrants in the US. Community mental health journal, 58(1), 121-135.
Bravo, L. G., Nagy, G. A., Stafford, RN, A. M., McCabe, B. E., & Gonzalez-Guarda, RN, CPH, FAAN, R. M. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms among young adult Hispanic immigrants: Moderating and mediating effects of distinct facets of acculturation stress. Issues in mental health nursing, 43(3), 209-219.
Kavukcu, N., & Altıntaş, K. H. (2019). The challenges of the health care providers in refugee settings: A systematic review. Prehospital and disaster medicine, 34(2), 188-196.
Mabeya, D. O. (2019). A Sociological Inquiry into “Arbitrary” Assigned Age Resettlement and Integration. A Case of the South Sudanese “Lost Boys” in the Greater Kansas City. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 20(1), 179-197.