Ethical Issues in Global School Fealth Promotion - Assignment Example

School health School health comes about because of health education (Selekman, 2006). One of the most notable school health education forums was that conducted in nineteen sixties. This conference did a lot in shaping the modern health care system and establishing value for comprehensive health services to all (Aldinge & Whitman, 2009). School nurses and attendants play a crucial role in ensuring quality health care. School health projects together with the state school boards organization assist policy makers and instructors to formulate informed decisions regarding health issues (Aldinge & Whitman, 2009).

Its main aim is to promote students’ welfare through proper health (Selekman, 2006). School health became a topic of concern first in the nineteenth century in the US (Selekman, 2006). The issue emerged because of the many children who were employed together with their parents in factories and mines (Aldinge & Whitman, 2009). The health and working conditions were extremely unhealthy for children, and many fell sick quite often. Epidemics and deaths became frequent in healthcare concerns were out of reach for many.

Diseases like tuberculosis spread remarkably fast especially in public schools where children would go after working (Selekman, 2006). Therefore, when a child fell ill, he or she was told to go home with a note, which the immigrant parents could not understand, and in case the parents understood the notes, health care was far out of reach for many. This accelerated spread of diseases like tuberculosis (Selekman, 2006). Suggestions for a look into school health were put forward, and a trial program started.

After a month, tremendous improvements were noted in students’ performance and health. The first ever board of health was established (Selekman, 2006). School health programs have expanded to cater for the increasing needs in schools such as early teenage pregnancies, drug addiction and spread of sexually transmitted diseases among other issues (Selekman, 2006). Roles of nurses and other health assistants have since been redefined as responsibilities have increased. A school nurse has a number of primary duties (Aldinge & Whitman, 2009).

For instance, a nurse is responsible for providing healthcare to the staff and students. He or she is supposed to administer health care procedures (Selekman, 2006). The nurse is responsible for screening and referring varying health conditions to the right specialists (Selekman, 2006). The nurse must be able to analyze the school environment in terms of resource and be able to respond well to emergencies and needy situation. This entails proper delegation of care given the laws of a country.

The nurse is responsible for maintaining a strong school atmosphere. This entails catering for the physical and emotional safety. This is done by ensuring immunizations are administered on time. In addition, the school nurse is also responsible for ensuring students and staffs are informed on health issues (Selekman, 2006). Another important task of the school nurse is serving as a liaison between the school fraternity, the society and health care providers (Aldinge & Whitman, 2009). School nursing remains a profession rich in nursing knowledge and skills and roles will continually evolve to suit changing needs (Selekman, 2006).

Cultural issues Provision of health is affected by a variety of factors. One of the main determinants of healthcare is culture. Effects brought about by culture could be positive or negative. The health attendant must strive to understand patients’ history to be able to render effective health care (Aldinge & Whitman, 2009). Culture affects communication, service delivery in terms of medication as well as family support. Culture could also be viewed in terms of the school program, demographics and social interactions among other issues (Selekman, 2006).

Characteristic of culture is formed by teacher-student relationship. School violence is the other challenge facing school health provision. School nurses are therefore, required to be active members of predicament intervention. Violence disrupts health care provision and nurses should therefore, be able to lobby for a healthy environment (Selekman, 2006). Ethical implications Ethical issues arise and affect effective service delivery in schools (Selekman, 2006). To start with, cases of teenage pregnancies are rampant, and some even opt aborting (Selekman, 2006).

In the US alone, approximately eight hundred and ninety cases are reported. Nurses have the task of creating programs to make sustainable differences in morbidity problems. Drug abuse is the other ethical issue affecting health delivery. Drug abuse leads to academic difficulties, health problems and homicide among other issues. Nurses may implement policies such as looking up for referral agencies like drug treatment centers where students can get aid. Cases of homosexuality are common and affect the student population considerably (Selekman, 2006).

Nurses have the task of offering advice to reduce cases of gays and lesbians. Low self-esteem issues in students known to influence most these cases. School nurses need to advance their knowledge in a variety of way to ensure they are always up to date with emerging trends (Selekman, 2006). They are also required to come up with ways to prove that education is fundamental to the education system. In the US, there are approximately thirty thousand nurses catering for forty million students (Selekman, 2006).

This averages to roughly fourteen hundred students per single nurse. References Selekman, J. (2006). School nursing: A comprehensive text. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. Aldinger, C., & Whitman, C. V. (2009). Case studies in global school health promotion: From research to practice. New York: Springer.