Catholic Charities to Open Clinic in Former Buffalo Church, Research Paper Example

Experience Summary/Clinical Objectives

Immigrants have experienced many challenges throughout history, particularly as they have entered the United States from their home countries via Ellis Island and other areas. These experiences have led to lessons learned regarding how to manage immigrants in the modern era. Immigrant children, for example, should obtain access to immunizations and well child examinations in order to prevent and/or treat common communicable diseases in many communities (Kasper, Gupta, Hunter, & Nelson, 2014). Since the early part of the 20^th Century, although technology and clinical advancements have improved, many significant barriers remain that influence the quality of life for these children, as well as for adults. Unfortunately, these conditions as a whole have not significantly improved and demonstrate the general lack of support and attention paid to immigrants in many ways. These issues have been cemented throughout history and are recognized for their contributions to the immigrant experience. Although many actions have been taken to improve their lives, many disparities remain and limit the opportunities that immigrants have to address their health concerns and improve their quality of life.

Residents within the tenement community in the Lower East Side of Manhattan were able to experience America in the context of basic living conditions that shaped the lives of thousands of residents (Tenement Museum, 2015). Most importantly, these immigrants were exposed to a variety of conditions that impacted their wellbeing and framed their lives; in addition, they faced numerous obstacles that were often difficult to manage due to cultural and language barriers that influenced their lives (Tenement Museum, 2015). For these residents, their working-class backgrounds and strong cultural values were instrumental in shaping areas of need that laid the groundwork for public health and the ability of communities to offer their residents a variety of options to improve their health, such as wellness exams and vaccinations for children and adults. Although medical advancements have been profound over the past several decades, this group of immigrants served as a basis for supporting the creation of public health services and community-based organizations to improve the lives of these residents. The Irish Hunger Memorial, for example, offers a reminder of the Great Irish Famine and the challenges that Irish immigrants experienced throughout their lives due to the limited availability of land in many areas (Battery Park City Parks, 2015).

Nurses in Public Health

Nurses play a critical role in public health in different capacities, including education, intervention, treatment, and case management, among others. The future of this field appears to be bright, as nurses must expand their roles and provide a basis for examining new concerns related to public health, such as influenza and the emergence of new infectious diseases (Canales & Drevdahl, 2014). In addition, vaccinations as part of a public health mandate are critical and require expert nursing knowledge to improve the lives of community members across many age groups (Canales & Drevdahl, 2014). Therefore, it is important to expand nurses’ role in public health in order to accommodate these needs and to facilitate adequate resource allocation to serve communities, both now and in the future. Nurses are the cornerstone of public health and must facilitate greater support and acknowledgement of their contributions in order to successfully achieve the desired results within this area.

Immigrant Housing

In Buffalo, NY, for example, an “immigration campus” has emerged on the city’s West Side, including individuals from Africa and other challenged nations (Epstein, 2015). These immigrants are supported by local organizations to ensure that they receive adequate housing, healthcare, and support within their new surroundings, with the intent to minimize disparities (Epstein, 2015). It is necessary to focus on these disparities and to provide immigrants with a general path to freedom and opportunity; however, this is challenged by a housing crisis and a limited portfolio of resources that will have a positive impact on their lives. There must be a greater emphasis on improving the lives of immigrants through community-based support to facilitate improved housing conditions for these persons and families.

Professional Growth

From a professional standpoint, these exercises have been enlightening and have enabled me to better understand some of the challenges of immigration and the status of public health services in the United States. There is disconnect between these two variables and it demonstrates a lack of understanding and/or full acceptance of immigrants and their full potential to society. The ability to grow and thrive in the nursing profession requires a critical examination of many areas of the healthcare system, including public health and the populations who are served. As part of this learning curve, I now recognize that disadvantaged populations often lack the resources that are necessary to meet their needs and to improve their health; therefore, they must be able to obtain support from public health services to bridge some of these gaps. It is the responsibility of nurses to treat all patients with respect and as human beings in an effort to achieve effective results. In particular, immigrants often possess limited integration into their new communities as a result of cultural and language barriers, and it is necessary for nurses to minimize these gaps accordingly. I have learned that knowledge regarding immigrants’ realistic circumstances must be acquired in an effort to provide the appropriate conditions under which to thrive. These experiences will support my own growth and development within the nursing profession in a well-rounded manner.

References

Battery Park City Parks (2015). Irish Hunger Memorial. Retrieved from http://bpcparks.org/whats-here/parks/irish-hunger-memorial/

Canales, M. K., & Drevdahl, D. J. (2014). Community/public health nursing: Is there a future for the specialty?. Nursing outlook, 62(6), 448-458.

Epstein, J.D. (2015). Catholic Charities to open clinic in former Buffalo church. The Buffalo News, retrieved from http://www.buffalonews.com/business/real-estate/catholic-charities-to-open-clinic-in-former-buffalo-church-20150928

Kasper, J., Gupta, N., Hunter, A. J., & Nelson, B. D. (2014). Care of the Child Immigrant. In The MassGeneral Hospital for Children Handbook of Pediatric Global Health (pp. 419-426). Springer New York.

Tenement Museum. (2015). A landmark building, a groundbreaking museum. Retrieved from http://www.tenement.org/about.html