Self-Care Café Recipe Recipe Title: Health Equity & Empowerment Stew for Vulnerable Populations

Concept and Connection

Recipe Title: Health Equity & Empowerment Stew for Vulnerable Populations

This stew is designed to nourish the spirit of health equity and self-care for vulnerable populations. By mixing the key ingredients of bias care and self-management, this recipe fosters empowerment and promotes health and wellness!

Recipe Card:

1. Ingredients (Core Elements of the Theories)
   1. Health Equity and Disparities Bias Care Model: Cultural Competence, Social Determinants of Health, Bias Recognition, Assess to Resources (Wakefield, M. K., 2021)
      1. 1 cup – cultural awareness and sensitivity to different ethnic and social backgrounds
      1. 2 tablespoons – active self-reflection to identify biases in care and prevent unequal treatment.
      1. 1 teaspoon – recognizing and addressing health disparities
      1. 1 cup – understanding how housing, education, socioeconomic status, and access to healthcare affects patient health
   1. Dorsey & Murdaugh’s Theory of Self-Care Management for Vulnerable Populations: Empowerment, Individualized Care, Patient-Centered Planning, Support Networks and monitoring (Dorsey, C. J., & Murdaugh, C. L. (2003).
      1. 1.5 cups – of patient empowerment and encouragement to engage in self-care
      1. 3 tablespoons – community resources (social services, mental health support, and family support)
      1. 2 teaspoons – regular follow-up and patient feedback to ensure success
2. Directions (Steps to Implement Theory in Practice)
   1. Step 1. Prepare the Base of Cultural Competence
      1. Start by creating a culturally sensitive environment where patients feel understood and valued. Recognize the diversity of health needs. This forms the base of the stew, ensuring that all ingredients can blend together.
      1. This step addresses the Health Equity and Disparities Bias Care Model by laying the groundwork for equitable treatment of patients.
   1. Step 2. Add a Pinch of Bias Recognition
      1. Add bias recognition to the pot by actively identifying and addressing any biases that might affect patient care. Stir in the awareness of health disparities, ensuring that inequalities are recognized and addressed.
      1. This step links Health Equity by addressing unconscious biases and disparities that can hinder equitable care for vulnerable patients.  
   1. Step 3. Stir in Social Determinants of Health
      1. Incorporate a deep understanding of the social determinants of health: housing, education, and income that influence a patient’s health outcomes. These ingredients should be carefully assessed in each patient’s situation.
      1. This is key in the Health Equity and Disparities Bias Care Model by highlighting the external factors that impact the patient’s ability to care for themselves.
   1. Step 4. Blend in the Empowerment for Self-Care
      1. Pour in a generous amount of empowerment by encouraging patients to take control of their health. Teach them strategies for management and provide them with tools they need to manage chronic diseases independently.
      1. This step is a direct reflection of Dorsey & Murdaugh, which emphasizes empowering vulnerable populations to manage their care through patient-centered care.  
   1. Step 5. Add Personalization of Care
      1. Personalize the recipe byadding care plans that are individualized to each patient. Customize these care plans based on the patient’s health challenges, preferences, and circumstances.
      1. This reflects the core principle of Dorsey & Murdaugh Theory which emphasizes the importance of tailoring care plans to the needs of vulnerable patients.
   1. Step 6: Simmer with Ongoing Monitoring and Feedback
      1. Let the stew simmer by consistently monitoring the patient’s progress and providing continuous support.
      1. Ongoing assessment and patient feedback allow patient care plans to adapt to the challenging needs and ensure they are sustained and effective.   
3. Serving Suggestions (How this Recipe Relates to Advanced Practice Nursing)
   1. Advanced practice nurses are ideally suited to prepare this Health Equity & Empowerment Stew. Using the recipe, advanced practice nurses can help vulnerable populations by allowing patients to feel empowered to manage their chronic diseases. By recognizing health disparities and working towards equity, this contributes to the individual’s health and a more equitable system (Meleis, A. I, 2018, p. 138).
   1. Encouraging self-care practices for vulnerable population also means enhancing their ability to manage their health independently, which ties into improving overall outcomes in the long term (Liu, T.-T., 2022).

Personal Connection:

            I have worked in the hospital for three years. Primarily taking care of elderly and poverty, low-income populations. I have personally connected to Dorsey & Murdaugh Theory when I saw how empowering patients to actively participate in their own care led to better management of their chronic diseases. Engaging with these patients through sensitive, patient-centered conversations, I could help them take steps toward improving their health outcomes. I have taken care of many people with diverticulitis, and I had one patient that particularly stood out to me. They had a hemicolectomy that caused her to need a temporary colostomy. The stoma was flesh with the skin and in an abdominal fold. The supplies that were on the floor did not fit properly around the stoma causing stool to leak from the sides. The patient was devastated and felt like they were set up for failure. I told her we will find her something that will work, and I will not give up. I was able to go to central supply and find an ostomy bag that was flexible and fit properly around stoma allowing her to move around freely. The patient was able to be discharged home confident that they will be able to care for the stoma. This theory reinforces the importance of active listening and tailored interventions for each patient’s unique situation.

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