Food Insecurities
Food Insecurities Due to Run Off and Leading to Malnutrition
Background Information
In accordance with Hollis (2017), food insecurity is well defined as the interruption of eating patterns, and food ingestion due to shortage or lack of money, including other predominant resources. It is substantial to note that the concept of food insecurity does not necessarily emerge as a cause, and effect of hunger, but there is a correlation that co-exists in that hunger is a resulting consequence of food insecurity. Malnutrition on the other hand is a state of condition that emerges from the consistent eating of a diet in which important nutrients may be in excess or not enough, and in which this translates and results in health problems. Having defined what is meant by food insecurity, and malnutrition it is distinct that the most crucial issue that is at hand in this study, and that which will be evaluated, scrutinized, and analyzed will be on the issue of food insecurities due to runoffs which eventually leads and implicates to malnutrition. Nevertheless, this study will outline what the implications of food insecurity and malnutrition are. Turning now to the demographics is that despite the children being protected from the considerable reductions in food consumption even in those households with exponential low food security, and in accordance with the state of the United States households with children in the year 2018 is that about 0.7 percent of the active households with children (230,000 households) a significant amount of children in one way or the other experienced reduced food intake which disordered the eating patterns in addition in the 6.9 percent of households with children only adults were food insecure. In the past decades, the food and agricultural organization (FAO) of the United Nations coordinated and availed funds that were purposeful for food projects to curb food insecurities. Having in mind that food security which is entrenched in poverty decreases chances of a country to undergo development, and growth in the economy this study will assist in providing suitable remedies to the problems and develop mechanisms leading to improved healthcare, increase the level of global security and sustainability, and also reduce poverty levels.
Health Policy
With regards to Malone’s policy, it proposes an elementary framework that is essential in the process of assessing the policy environment. In the nursing domain, one of the most crucial, and very key concepts that are usually under most discussions is the environment. In most cases, the policy of the environment is not well-thought-out. In the nursing assessments, it is outlined that it involves activities dealing with the process of identifying, and evaluating the facets of the involved patient conditions which are very outstanding to their retorts which are connected with the definite, and probable health problems. It is noted that in most instances nurses do not distinguish the policy scopes of the clinical practices. According to Malone (2005) Policies are the most relevant factors due to the fact that they ensure that they shape up the somatic characteristics of the predominant surroundings of the patient, the interpersonal relations amongst patients, and practitioners, the institutions in which healthcare services are being rendered, and the predictions for the universal survival. With respect to the policy, it recommends a framework in which the clinical practice nurses are to custom in the process of assessing the policy environment. Considering the case of a nursing position it is likely that environmental health nursing is profoundly a more distinct choice. However it is the only position that allows and permits an individual to absolutely enjoy everything that the healthcare system and industry have to offer, this includes personal satisfaction which is a sense of fulfillment, and also the enjoyment in rendering healthcare services to the involved patients. One of the rising nursing position in an environmental setting is that the health nurses work in ensuring that the health of the entire population improves, they not only render services to a particular single patient.
Health nurses specialized in the environment domain are professionals, and specialists who mainly their work is to focus on demystifying the emerging and issues that are in existence in the environment which have implications on the wellbeing, and health effects on individuals in the environs. Their position in this domain is to mainly, and majorly work towards addressing the principal issues through various mechanisms with the definitive aim of spearheading the improvement of health status in the population through curbing illness. Concerning the nurse’s position in the environment policy, the nurses serve various functions and this will include; the process of identifying the prevailing issues that are in the environment, and in which they are linked to lowering the welfare and the health of the public, in addition, the nurses ensure that they are involved in the consultations with other public health professionals in the healthcare medical system to identify the potential risks, and also coming up with the suitable remedies that are effective in preventing health threats to the public. More so the nurses are also to be involved working to come up with, and design mechanisms and programs that can reduce the rates of the risks involved. Furthermore, nurses ensure that they can provide and avail educational materials to those that are affected by the risks, through which this will establish an awareness which translates to a better understanding of how to prevent and deal with the threatening problems. The environmental nurses are expected to come up with, design, and develop reports, and charts that will accurately and distinctively express the information which is concealed in the study. On the question of the nature of the work is that the health nurses work in various settings. Predominantly the health nurses may work in both a community setting and a work setting. As discussed previously in the work settings the health nurses’ focus is mainly on ensuring that they work towards rendering the best services to attain an improvement in the health of the worker population. On the other hand in the community setting their ultimate focus is working towards providing the best, quality healthcare services to effectively enhance improvement in the health and safety of the community population. As far as the environment is concerned fieldwork is inevitable due to necessitated gathering of substantial information inform of samples. The explicit nature of the work varies depending on the emerging issues that facades a population, or a community setting.
Climatic Change on Malnutrition Issue.
In the event that the climate change issues continue to degrade, its implication is seen to exponentially lengthen beyond the wide damage to the environment. Climatic change has an unswerving effect on the global health of individuals, with the inclusion of other underlying issues such as undernutrition, and obesity. Malnutrition is said to have accounted for approximately 20% of ill health, and premature deaths globally research has proven that it is the largest cause of global deaths. As a result of the climatic change, this will adversely have a negative effect which makes the conditions tremendously worse. More specifically Harvey (2007) notes that there is a connection that exists between undernutrition, obesity, and the climatic change in the sense that with a change in climatic condition this increases the rate of undernutrition as an effect of increased food insecurity from droughts, and extreme weather conditions. To curb the issue of malnutrition, some guidelines are to be put in place to enhance a sustainable diet, in addition, there are food industry regulations that are put in place for the ultra-processed foods. Some policies are in existence, and in which if put to use they will lead an economical, environmentally, sustainable food systems that are healthy, and prosperous which will assist in eradicating malnutrition. In this study, it calls for the institution of universal agreement on food systems which will control the climatic change the Malone’s bill will influence the food industry in the establishment of policies, and activities of policymaking to assemble national exploit for a sustainable, equitable food system that will eradicate effects of climate change such as food insecurities, and malnutrition.
Ethics
The following part of this paper moves on to describe in greater detail on issues to do with ethics. In the healthcare domain, ethical issues are said to occur when there is a need of making up choices when the expected answers are not certain and precise, and the available selections are not suitable. This would eventually lead to a deterioration in the standard of patient care, difficult clinical relationships, and ethical distress, which is predominantly demystified as the knowledge on doing things in the right manner but being in a position of restriction to perform it. More specifically Bagnasco, Catania, Aleo, et al (2014) argues that in respect to ethics, it is very clear that in a healthcare setting the nurse, managers are vulnerable to the ethical issues in nursing and the ethical distress due to their roles in terms of leadership, and mentorship roles). Hence the nurses are dependent on the nurse managers for suitable and ethical decision making. Ethics is therefore defined as the principle that is used to describe what is expected in terms of the good, and the bad, the right, and wrong precisely in the dimension of the behaviors. An example can be given to back up the definition of ethics, and this is made possible as the American nurses association code of ethics ensures that the nurses are held the containment of the principals involved. In this study, there are two ethical principles that the nurses are inevitable, and which the nurses must adhere to include the principle of accountability and the principle of social justice.
The principle of Accountability
According to Cash (2003) accountability is generally defined as the acceptance of responsibilities for one’s cause of actions. The nurses are to be held accountable for their providence of the healthcare services and other causes, and actions. It is ethical for the nurses to accept all their expertise and professional consequences that can transpire as a result of their actions. In this case, the nurses are responsible for ensuring that patients suffering from malnutrition as a result of food insecurities are well taken care of and that the best healthcare services are made available to the patients to improve their condition. If by any chance any emergency is encountered on the patient the nurses are to take responsibility and take charge in the management of the emergency.
The principle of Social justice
Social justice can be defined as the ability of the nurses to avail of the quality healthcare services in an applicable circulation, this is in terms of promoting the quality healthcare services, and activities to all the involved patients. It is crucial to note that social justice ensures that the nurses exercise fairness in their activity of distribution of the healthcare services, in a setting whereby there are a group of patients. Social justice provides a strong basis and foundation in which nurses must ensure that they equitably, fairly, and justly offer the health care services among the groups of patients. In accordance with Cash (2003) this principle ensures that nurses avail their quality healthcare services to any kind of individual without any prejudices. Also, nurses are to ensure that despite the patients underlying conditions quality healthcare services must not be compromised.
Steps of Ethical Decision Making
Problem Solving Process.
Problem Definition
This section will mainly describe and illustrate the problem identification process, and then after provide a suitable remedy to the problem. Hollis (2017) opines that before solving a problem there must be the identification or the spotting to a particular distinctive problem in this case it is about food insecurities and how to runoffs lead to malnutrition. Under this problem definition, a precise description of the concerned ethical dilemma will be outlined. It is important to note that food insecurity may be either long-term or temporal. Various predominant factors can signal the identification of food insecurity. These factors include disability, income level, employment, and ethnicity. The probability that food insecurity will increase is will be factored in by limited amounts, and even lack money to purchase food. On the other hand, the high rates of continuous unemployment rates will also signal the definition of chances that there will be food insecurities. This is because the increased rates of unemployment will make it more challenging for individuals to meet their daily basic needs to survive.
Data collection
What follows during this stage of the ethical decision-making process is the activity that has dealings to do with the process of reviewing the ethical codes, the available published proofs which are based on practices, professional positions papers that are related to food insecurities and malnutrition. Research has it that in the year 2016 approximation of around 30 percent of the low-income earner’s households had the higher probabilities of experiencing food insecurity, in comparison to an approximation with the national average which was at a percentage of around 13 percent. According to Hollis (2017), another finding was that there was a higher possibility of food insecurity amidst the children who their parents had the challenge of unemployment compared to children whose parents had secured employment in the market. Individuals who had challenges to do with disabilities were at a higher risk of experiencing food insecurities since they are not able to work for themselves and cater to their daily basic needs thus facing higher perils of food insecurities.
Data Analysis
In this stage, data analysis on the food insecurities and malnutrition will be carried out in that it will make it possible for the data to be analyzed, and organized. The data that was obtained in the previous discussion has proven that adults who are exposed to food insecurities are exposed to negative implications that mainly will affect their health. Findings have it that chances that the adults are likely to encounter, and suffer difficult health outcomes have increased with the increase in food insecurities. Findings have it that the adults experiencing food insecurity have an increased risk of suffering from obesity. In regards to the same the rates of the chronic diseases proved to increase amongst the low-income earners, and at the age brackets that were majorly affected were between ages nineteen, up to age sixty-six. Health conditions affect all individuals in any age bracket, thus children that were exposed to food insecurity faced were also not spared with health conditions such as malnutrition, and obesity.
The Exploration, Identification, and Generation of Possible Solutions.
It is in this phase that the identification, exploration, and generation of food insecurities and malnutrition possible remedies are. This section will describe all the alternatives at hand, and the possible solutions to ensure that food insecurities and malnutrition dilemma are properly discovered, and assessed. Several ways can assist in curbing, preventing, and eliminating food insecurities rates, in this phase an exploration, identification, and generation of the possible solutions to curb the issue of food insecurity runoffs which leads to another issue of malnutrition. One amongst the possible solutions in curbing food insecurities is the introduction of food assistance programs which may include the national school’s lunch program, the supplemental nutrition assistance program, which their main core business is to address the issues, and barriers in accessing healthy food (Hollis, 2017). As a result of the introduction of such programs research has proved that they have assisted in the reduction of food insecurity. On the other hand the other possible solution introduction of more employment opportunities to adults. A decrease in the unemployment rate will lead to an increase in food security, this is because adults who have secured employment opportunities can cater for their basic needs, and will increase their ability to buy food for themselves, and also their children. More so another solution that can help in curbing food insecurity is an increase in the level of income. As we have seen in the previous discussions is that low-income earners are at a higher risk of experiencing food insecurity which has negative and adverse implications on their health, and it is through this kind of knowledge that provides a basis for another solution, in which if there is an increase in the level of income, this will highly lead to food security because there is enough money, and resources to buy food, and also cater for the basic needs.
Selection of the Best Conceivable Solution.
In this phase many solutions might be available, however, there is the need to choose the best potential remedy that is going to handle the issue of food insecurity, and malnutrition properly. It is also crucial to note that all possible remedies and alternatives to the problem will be under consideration but only the suitable, and ethical one will be upheld. In this section, and after the exploration of the possible solutions to curb the issue of food insecurity one of the most distinct solutions that prove to be suitable, and effective will be the creation of more employment opportunities to adults. This is so since when an individual is allowed to work, and earn a living, the income, and wage rate that is involved will be able to sustain and cater to the basic needs of both the adult and the dependent children. This will help eliminate food insecurities as people can afford their daily necessities.
Performance of the Selected Cause of Action to Resolve Food Insecurity, and Malnutrition.
To ensure that the chosen remedy to the predominant issue is effective and efficient, there has to be a performance evaluation of the selected cause of action to facilitate resolving the problem. An evaluation was done to ensure that the solution that was chosen was primarily the best cause of action. The findings of the evaluation stated that employment opportunities opened up doors to end food insecurities which are a route and cause negative health conditions including malnutrition.
Evaluation of the Results of Action.
What follows in this phase is the actions that have been made to resolve the issue of food insecurity, and malnutrition is to be evaluated and dignified to prove their effectiveness and efficiency in resolving the issue. There was a discrepancy between individuals who were employed with those that were not in employment. In this case, there was food insecurity to the unemployed which came with negative health perceptions, and issues like malnutrition. This cause of action is perceived to be effective, and efficient because there is the complete eradication of food insecurities in regions where there are employment opportunities as it helps individuals to cater to their basic needs. Curbing food insecurity will also lead to the eradication of malnutrition.
Cultural /Spiritual Consideration
Moving on now to consider an assortment of religion in today’s world population it gives rise to challenges in which are linked with the healthcare providers and the subsystems in the process of rendering competent Medicare. Heelas (2006) argues that it is crucial to understand that cultural competence is the capability of the health care specialists, professionals, and the organizations to avail, provide and render the healthcare services that are in a position to meet the social, religious, and cultural essentials of the patients. Culturally proficient healthcare has the capability, and potential to improve the patient’s quality health status. On the other hand, there are mechanisms, and strategies that are aimed at transitioning the health specialists, and the systems towards similar objectives. The strategies include organizing the cultural proficiency training, and also the process of mounting policies, and set up procedures that will assist in the diminution of barriers to providing culturally proficient patient care.
Consequences of Cultural Competence Deficiencies.
In consideration of the consequences of the cultural competence deficiencies it is evidenced that if there is an absence of harmony between the health care systems, and providers of services in an objective to provide culturally proficient care, the resulting implication is linked to the patients in which they are faced health repercussions, obtain poor quality care, and discontent with that health care services that they receive. The health care system must involve, and indulge both the spiritual, and cultural needs of the patient. In line with Heelas (2006) the health care providers and the health systems join up together in ensuring that they develop, and come up with strategies, techniques, and mechanisms in which they are to respond to the spiritual, and the religious needs of the patients The strategies that are developed help curb the ethnic, and the racial health discrepancies.
Culturally Competent Medical Care.
In this section, it is considerate on the patient’s set of, behaviors, beliefs, and values which are put to shape by distinct factors that include, gender, ethnicity, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientations, and the socioeconomic status. The main objective of the providence of the cultural competency health care services is to ensure that there is a consistent providence of quality care to all patients this is irrespective of the ethnic, racial, cultural, or the religious contextual. The effect when people come together is that when the healthcare providers and the systems involved work harmoniously in the providence of a positive background of the cultural competence that ensures that it meets the threshold of both the religious, and spiritual needs of the patients. This results in positive feedback in which it entails the improvement of the patient’s outcome, and also the creation of positive healthcare background.
Religion and Healthcare
As far as religion is concerned the challenge that seems to be in existence amongst the healthcare providers is in understanding that patients always look up to their spiritual, and religious beliefs in the process of making medically relative decisions. In accordance with Heelas (2006), it is a reality that spirituality and religion can impact predominant decisions concerning medicines, diet, and a preferred gender of their health care service renders. Some of the religions interfere with medical treatment since they devour much time in their prayers. The healthcare providers should show respect to the patient’s spiritual, and religious needs. It is very vital for healthcare professionals to distinguish, and put up with the spiritual, and religious needs. It is necessitated that the health care providers should provide an environment that allows the patients to deliberate their spiritual, and religious beliefs this will assist in the modification, and assessment, to meet the definite needs.
2 Nursing Code of Ethics.
In this phase, the code involves nine provisions however in this study only two of the nursing codes of ethics are needed. Under the first provision, the first code of ethics suggests that the nurses should ensure that they practice with compassion, and respect for the essential dignity, and the unique attributes of every individual. In line with McMillan (2010) the notion is that through respecting the values system, and needs of each individual it is the only way that the nurses can support the right to self-worth. On the other hand, the foundation of utmost trust can only be developed when there is the eradication of biases, and partialities, and strong friendships. One of the main objectives of the nurses is to assist in ensuring that the involved patients can enjoy quality healthcare services, despite the type of condition, or even socioeconomic status. More so by maintaining harmonious relationships with colleagues, and in partnership with the other healthcare providers, nurses assist in the building of an ethical, effective, and efficient medical environments to achieve the common objective. Turning now to the second provision, the code of ethics that is involved is that the nurse’s key commitment is, and should be directed to the patient, whether they are in, groups, communities, or a population. Under this provision, it is expected that when a conflict or a misunderstanding of interest arises nurses should ensure that they play a vital role in curbing and eliminating the disputing issue. This is by ensuring that the disclosure of the nature of the dispute, and keeping in mind that the safety of the patients, health comes first. More specifically McMillan (2010) suggests that Nurses should warrant that they avail themselves, to ensure that the patients are well-taken care off, in terms of being provided with the rightful information, resources, and a sense of direction in a way that helps in meeting their desired needs. To ensure that the nurses maintain, and keep positive relationships amongst themselves, and with patients, nurses ensure that they work towards maintaining, and not interesting from their professional boundaries into a personal one. By the establishment of an open forum form of communication amongst the involved members in the health care team, it is in this way that nurses can ensure that they can maintain shared decision making amidst the healthcare providers, and also enhance and maintain the communal trust. With this kind of matters being upheld, and adhered to it is easy to effectively enhance high quality and a safe patient-centered healthcare system.
References.
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