Discussion Board helps you dig deeper into JCN content, offering ideas for personal or group reflection with other nurses-great for Nurses Christian Fellowship student chapters or nurse fellowship groups!
Advocating for Equitable Healthcare for the Undocumented Immigrant
Read Knight, 214-220.
1. How did the Affordable Care Act impact immigrant workers? What are other barriers to healthcare for undocumented immigrants (UI)? What steps can be taken to help UIs attain access to healthcare?
2. In Knight's article, what do authors Kerani & Kwakwa note regarding the health of UIs when they first enter the United States? What suggested interventions could help mitigate later health risks?
3. Discuss the barriers faced within the healthcare system for UIs needing care. The author notes: "If healthcare staff are unable or unwilling to identify their biases toward specific populations, the result can be harm to the patient through misdiagnosis, cultural misconceptions, and a breakdown in trust between providers and patients" (Edgoose et al., 2019). Reflect and discuss.
4. Have you provided care to an undocumented individual? Were you aware of the potential for a prejudicial attitude or judgment? If so, how did you address those attitudes? Recalling that patient experience, were you aware of others' thoughts or feelings?
5. Reading the article, what thoughts and questions came to your mind? Take time to sit with those thoughts. Might God be leading you to take a specific action as an advocate for UIs?
6. Consider Leviticus 19:34; Zechariah 7:9-10; and Acts 10:9-34. What do we learn of God's position toward the immigrant or foreign person residing in the land? How does this apply to our current culture?
Assessing Readiness for Telehealth in Rural Communities
Read Bowen, 221-227.
1. What factors make telehealth a viable, cost-effective alternative for rural populations? During the COVID pandemic, what percentage of clinical visits do you estimate were held virtually in your practice setting?
2. What are common barriers to accessible and timely healthcare for rural residents? What impact do barriers have on people living in rural communities?
3. The authors note the gap in understanding or use of telehealth in some regions. How might have the pandemic altered that gap? What is your comfort level with telehealth appointments from the perspective of a nurse?
4. Would you consider working in a rural setting? Would you consider working via telehealth? Why or why not?
5. Consider 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. What application can be made to healthcare access for those in rural areas?
How Can I Be Empathic When I'm Emotionally Exhausted?
Read Taylor, 263.
1. Take inventory of your emotions. What are you feeling? How have you felt this week? To what degree are you aware of your emotional limitations? Describe how you arrived at this conclusion.
2. Recall a time when you felt emotionally exhausted. How did your body feel? Physically, where did the exhaustion reside? How do you as a provider overcome the physical side of exhaustion? What steps do you take to care for your body? mind? soul?
3. How do you intentionally refocus yourself and how often?
4. How is God inviting you to greater understanding?
5. Read and reflect on 1 Kings 19:1-9. What significant circumstances occurred in the days just prior to this account? When are you most vulnerable to emotional exhaustion? What insight does this account offer about God's care for us?