Addressing Social Injustice Through Nursing by Inaya

Addressing Social Injustice Through Nursing by Inaya - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

On September 30, 2019, I was involved in a three-car accident caused by a distracted, 16-year-old driver while en route to swim practice. The side of my head collided forcefully with the window upon impact as a car ricocheted into the door next to where I sat. My physical condition declined in the following days, and I was put on Concussion Protocol for the following nine months.

My medical team became a reassuring force in my life during my nine-month, post-car accident concussion recovery, and I found it easy to speak with them about my feelings without being judged. It was at that time that I decided that I wanted to have the same positive impact on the lives of others. Through my own post-car accident concussion recovery, I learned that a calming voice, warm smile, and understanding can have lasting effects on patients. This is what I will strive to provide for my future patients. Patients are physically and emotionally vulnerable and may be experiencing the greatest challenges of their lives. My goals will be to make their experience as tolerable as possible and to use my platform to address health disparities.

I desire to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree because they will lead to a nurse practitioner career. I will use my voice as a nurse practitioner to alleviate human suffering and address social injustice through policies that will expand nursing education, clinical trial representation, preventive care, and patient healthcare access. According to Toretsky, Mutha, and Coffman (2018), the cost of education, lack of academic preparation, and limited exposure to health careers are major impediments to minorities entering the healthcare workforce. Increased efforts should be made to encourage diverse populations to enter the healthcare profession, and such efforts begin with education. More institutional and government grants, private scholarships, and student loan forgiveness programs should be provided to students who desire to enter the healthcare sector. In my role as a nursing professional, I will work with institutions of higher learning to provide academic support services and healthcare-related internships and camps to diverse populations who express interest in healthcare careers. More diversity and representation amongst healthcare professionals can help ease anxieties and increase treatment compliance by making patients feel represented and understood, which can lead to better health outcomes for patients.

Diverse representation among clinical trial study participants can ensure better treatment effectiveness for all populations. “To account for the diverse lived experiences and exposures of various populations, clinical research should be appropriately inclusive of racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as other populations experiencing health disparities, including sexual and gender minority or socioeconomically disadvantaged populations” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 2023). Lack of diversity among clinical trial participants can limit understanding of diseases, preventive measures, and treatment effectiveness among various populations --- all of which can limit the delivery of quality health counseling and treatment. I will develop partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to advocate for diversity among study participants.

Improved preventive care is important to decreasing health disparities among diverse populations. As a nurse practitioner, I will collaborate with school districts to develop curricula specifically related to the importance of preventive care, which I hope to incorporate into middle and high school health classes. The introduction of the importance of preventive care to children during their formative years will establish the foundation for better adult healthcare.

Access to quality healthcare is often a challenge in many diverse communities due to barriers to care, which lead to a lack of preventive care, health screening, and treatment of illnesses. Healthcare access is critical to optimal health and well-being. I will use my position as a nurse practitioner to help community-based organizations secure grants to enable them to provide free transportation to people who cannot easily access healthcare facilities due to a lack of safe and affordable transportation. I will also use my position to provide preventive education and services to patients on-site at community-based facilities, thereby increasing healthcare access for those who need it most.

I am persistent and have consistently proven that I do not allow adversity to hinder me from achieving my goals. My premature birth and resulting vision impairment have not prevented me from excelling academically. My debilitating car accident during the beginning of my freshman year of high school led to my being placed on Concussion Protocol for nine months, but I have not allowed that obstacle and the long-lasting mental and physical effects of the accident to hinder my academic achievement. Nursing programs are extremely challenging and competitive, but I am confident that the same determination and persistence I have shown throughout my life will enable me to persevere and reach my goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. Successful nurse practitioners are those who show resiliency, adaptability, and capacity for improvement. I have exuded all those characteristics throughout my life. In doing so, I will prove that the financial investments made for my education were worthwhile.

References

Toretsky, C., Mutha, S., & Coffman J. (2018, July 30). Breaking barriers for
underrepresented minorities in the health professions. Healthforce Center at UCSF.
https://healthforce.ucsf.edu/sites/healthforce.ucsf.edu/files/publication-pdf/Breaking%20Barriers%20for%20Underrepresented%20Minorities%20in%20the%20Health%20Professions%20.pdf

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services National Institute on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (2023, March 15). Diversity and inclusion in clinical trials.
https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/resources/understanding-health-disparities/diversity-and-inclusion-in-clinical-trials.html