Current Issues in Nursing, Coursework Example

Introduction

The United Nations established a precedent regarding the welfare of all human beings and their right to achieve optimal physical and mental health and wellbeing (OHCHR, 2014). This is a basic human right that unfortunately, millions of people throughout the world do not have; therefore, it is the responsibility of all persons, including the United Nations, to take the initiative to protect all human beings from unnecessary risk or harm (OHCHR, 2014). These standards are consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that enables all persons to have the right to freedom and to not live in fear under any conditions (The United Nations).

Analysis

It is generally believed that those living the United States possess specific freedoms and opportunities with respect to their human rights that are not available in many other countries. However, it is also evident that there are significant challenges related to economic and health disparities for many persons in the United States, which is somewhat inconsistent with the United Nations’ declarations (Cowen & Moorhead, 2014). The Affordable Care Act represents an opportunity to examine the different areas where economic, racial, and health disparities exist and to focus on minimizing those concerns to protect the integrity and rights of all human beings in the United States (Kaufman, 2012). This perspective supports the need for additional areas of reform to improve outcomes for patients who require healthcare services to meet their needs.

Conclusion

Human rights is a challenging subject that is viewed on an international scale. In many countries, however, basic human rights do not exist for many people. It is the aim of the Affordable Care Act in the United States to minimize some of the health disparities that exist and to improve the lives and to preserve the human rights of all persons through improved access to healthcare services in the United States.

References

Cowen, P.S., & Moorhead, S. (2014). Current Issues in Nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.  

Kaufman, R.E. (2012). A human-rights lens on the Affordable Care Act. The Huffington Post, retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/risa-e-kaufman/affordable-care-act_b_1378852.html

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Special rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Health/Pages/SRRightHealthIndex.aspx

The United Nations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/