Global Healthcare and Nursing - Essay Example

"Global Healthcare and Nursing" is a perfect example of a paper on care. I have chosen global healthcare and nursing as the contemporary issue of focus. The nursing profession has a common aspect that is globally recognized, the care for human life. The contemporary topic is an area of interest for every nurse, no matter the geographical location. Every nurse should also be conversant with the nursing profession, that nursing care differs in different parts of the world. The contemporary topic is vital for every nurse practitioner across the globe. Every country is advocating for equal access to healthcare. However, it should never be assumed that every part of the world has equal access to healthcare. The difference in healthcare access is worth researching so that to develop improvement strategies. Also, learning about healthcare in other countries is fundamental for nurses. The nursing profession is ever-changing, and by learning about other country's healthcare, nurses gain vital information as well as keeping up-to-date. Nurses should always keep updated with global nursing issues for better patient management. In order to understand global nursing, I have decided to compare nursing in the United States with the nursing practice in china. The two countries are powerful, especially the united states, while china is ever-rising to the platform of powerful nations. The two countries provide significant differences when it comes to the healthcare system.

The comparison will cover areas such as nursing education programs, nurse supply, and staffing levels for the two countries. One obvious similarity between the two countries is the need for nurses. The two countries, just like any other part of the world, are experiencing a gradual increase in population (Wang, Whitehead & Bayes, 2016). An increase in population necessitates an increased number of nurses. Another similarity that exists between the two nations is the need for preventive and restorative nursing, a shift that focuses on disease prevention more than case management. Also, it can be deduced that the population of the US and China experience a similar type of condition. What differs is the healthcare strategy designed to manage the conditions. There are many differences when it comes to global healthcare and nursing. I have selected China and the United States as a representation of the vast differences that exist across the world. In terms of medical facilities, the US has over 5500 hospitals, with a total of 1million beds combined. On the other hand, China has approximately 18500 hospitals, with about 5700 beds (Beatrice and Yilan, 2009). From the figures, it is evident that the two countries differ significantly in terms of hospital facilities. At first, I thought China would be leading when it comes to hospital facilities and bed capacities. However, that is not the case because the US far much ahead when it comes to healthcare facilities and bed capacities.

Another aspect that is worth compare between the two countries is the number of nurses. The nurse to person ratio in China stands at 1:1000, which means, for every one thousand people, there is one nurse. In the United States, the ratio of nurses to people stands at 10:1000, which means that for every one thousand people, there are ten nurses (Beatrice and Yilan, 2009). In the US, one nurse is likely to serve 100 people, compared to China, where one nurse serves 1000 people. China has fewer nurses compared to the united states. The low number of nurses in china is caused by a mass number of unlicensed medical practitioners who provide a cheaper alternative for preventive care. In the united states, all medical practitioners undergo formal training, which leads to licensing. As a result, no unlicensed medical practitioners were allowed to operate in the united states. In China, the majority of low-income people seek care from unlicensed caregivers because they are cheaper compared to licensed caregivers. The cost of care in the united states is high compared to that of China. The high cost is because of the high amount of fees for training medical students. In the United States, all medical practitioners must undergo certified training translating to the high number of nurses. In China, there is less need for nurses because locals seek traditional medicine to cure their illnesses. It is more costly to see a nurse in china compared to the united states. The aspect of nursing education in the two countries is worth comparing. In china, nursing education takes a shorter duration than that of the United States. In the United States, formal training and licensing examinations take a minimum of two years (Wang, Whitehead & Bayes, 2016). The duration of training depends on the level of programs, whether certificate, diploma or degree.

The next aspect of comparison relates to the nursing demographics in china and the US. While the nursing profession has evolved over the past years, the nursing profession in China is dominated by men due to cultural reasons. In China, women were barred from giving medical care (Beatrice and Yilan, 2009). The belief still exists in the Chinese generation. In the united states, nursing is dominated by women. However, changes have occurred over the past years, and men are increasingly involved in the nursing profession. The comparisons highlight the major differences that exist in the nursing profession within the two countries. While the main focus was never to compare the two countries, it has provided the representation of the global view.