INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY THEME 2011-CLOSING THE GAP: INCREASING ACCESS AND EQUITY

INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY THEME 2011-CLOSING THE GAP:

INCREASING ACCESS AND EQUITY

            On May 12 every year, the world celebrates International Nurses’ Day the same day that Florence Nightingale, a British nurse who pioneered the profession of nursing and advocated and reformed hospital sanitation methods (Riddle, 2010), was born. This year, 2011, nurses all over the world commemorates the day with a theme: “Closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Equity”.

            The theme for this year represents the commitment of all nurses to their profession and their role in achieving the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goal (MDG). The MDG basically aims to improve the health status of all peoples all over the world by 2015. Razia, 2011). The MDG’s concern on the health of the worldwide population that specifically relates to the nursing profession are, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, reduction of the incidence of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (RCNA, n.d..)

            Nurses are identified as the principal health workers who are assigned to challenging areas with little access to health services. They are thus the best professionals who can provide access and equitable delivery of quality health care services to the most marginalized. Nurses all over the world are the best professionals who can understand the health needs of the marginalized sector of the community. (Razia, 2011)

            In this year, the nurses are catapulted in a very important position with very important roles to perform, which requires a personal and professional commitment and dedication that they have pledged their oath to. The MDG goals of eradicating poverty through the improvement of the health and well being of the global population will be the guiding light through which the nurses serve the community.  

            “Closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Equitability,” is a theme that reflects the nurses concern over the issues of poverty and how it relates to the disparate gap and distribution of diseases and illnesses all over the world. The world health fact reveals that it is the poor rather than the wealthy that suffers from the most debilitating, communicable and life-threatening diseases and illnesses. Likewise it is also a stark reality that diseases and illnesses, well-being and life expectancy vary between the poor and the wealthy, between the rural and health populations, between men and women and between the children and the elderly. (Razia, 2011)

            The concern of access highlights the overarching goal of the nursing profession to narrow and ultimately close the gap on access and equity of health and social services. Access, using Pearsall’s (2002 cited in Razia, 2011) definition, means the right and opportunity to enter, use something or see someone. Access to the nursing services is critical but access is deterred by several factors which includes, cost, proximity, language, and policies and practices. The role of the nurses this year is to respond to the above mentioned concern on cost, proximity, language, policies and practices. (Razia, 2011). How this will be done is not specified in the discussion of the theme. The strategies however may be contextualized depending on the situation of the community and the country, their governments, civil society and other concerned institutions.

            Socioeconomic status, the accident of geographic, education, participation in the labor market, gender and other factors affect an individual’s access to health services and their maintenance of their health. Health is a social issue because it is socially determined but notwithstanding the fact that it is also determined by genetics and the environment. There are global disparities on health access, high morbidity rate and lower life expectancy are common among low income countries than high income countries. Statistics gathered from the World Health Organization study in 2010, reveals that 80% of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease occur in low income countries. Maternal death in Afghanistan is 1 out of 8 which differs markedly in Sweden which is 1 out of 17,400. In terms of social coverage, 5-10% have social protection in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa a marked contrast to 20-60 % in middle-income countries. (Razia, 2011).

            Equity on the other hand, using Pearsall’s (2002 cited by Razia 2011) definition pertains to fairness and impartially. An equity approach in addressing the issue of equitability will be used. The equity approach implies that those who have less will be given more. The equity concern will focus the nurses’ health services on the poorest of the poor who has not had any access to better health care.

            “Closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Accessibility,” is a gargantuan task among nurses all over the world. The nurses of course can make a difference but only if their tasks are approached with the help of the various sectors of society.

REFERENCES

Razia, R., 2011. 12th May International Nurses Day 2011 Theme: Closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Equity. . Slideshow. [online] Available at: < http://www.slideshare.net/salmanmamma/nurses-day-2011-theme> [Accessed 7 May 2011].

 

Riddle, L., 210. Florence Nightingale. [online] Available at: < http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/nitegale.htm> [Accessed 7 May 2011].

 

Royal College of Nursing Australia, n.d. International Nurses Day – 12 May 2011

Closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Equity. Pdf.

. [online] Available at: < www.rcna.org.au> [Accesses 7 May 2011].

 

 

 

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