Unmet Dental Needs
Identify the Issue and State your Ethical Position
The issue relates to a patient who is not able to afford dental care and therefore keeps visiting the emergency department with a complaint of a severe toothache with at least three visits in the past month. However, the physician in the emergency department has already referred the patient to a dentist. The patient clearly states that she cannot be able to afford to see a dentist. The patient keeps getting medication to manage her toothache, with the medication not being sufficient to treat the root cause of her toothache, which is tooth decay in the emergency department (Curt, 2022). The patient’s consistent visit to the emergency department where she does not receive sufficient health raises several issues related to the delivery of healthcare. One of the central issues related to the patient who visits the emergency department for issues related to her toothache relates to the wastage of healthcare resources as the patient utilizes both the physician’s time and other healthcare resources such as medications which cannot assist them in their healthcare problem. Another central issue in the case study where a patient is not able to afford a dentist relates to the affordability and accessibility of dental health care services in the US among individuals in low-income groups (Curt, 2022).
My ethical position on the case study where a patient returns to the emergency department more than three times complaining of a severe toothache and only receives antibiotics because they cannot afford a dentist relates to the ethical principle of justice. Utilizing the ethical principle of justice, it is therefore clear that the economic status of the patient in the case study inhibits her access to needed health care services (Varkey, 2020). Because of the patient lacking sufficient funds and an insurance cover that includes dentist services, she is therefore not able to visit a dentist despite a referral from her physician. The patient is therefore forced to utilize short-term measures to manage her pain rather than address the root of her problem, which is tooth decay. Relying on the ethical principle of justice, an argument can therefore be made that Miss O, the patient in the case study who has a severe toothache, is denied access to needed dental health services because of her economic status. Access to dental health care services has therefore remained one of the most significant areas of concern when it comes to equality in access to healthcare services across the US (Northridge et al., 2020).
How might this scenario play out or impact you in your role as a nurse practitioner?
A scenario where a patient is not able to access needed dental health services can significantly impact my role as a nurse practitioner. In such a scenario, my main role as a nurse practitioner would therefore be the main advocate for the patient in helping her access needed dental services. To effectively advocate for the patient, I would investigate the different options that are available for the patient to be able to access dental health services, such as through local dental clinics or public dental insurance options. As a nurse practitioner, I would collaborate with either a case manager or social worker to ensure that the patient with dental health issues receives adequate guidance on which dental health services they would afford. As a nurse practitioner, I would also need to advance my advocacy efforts to improve the accessibility of dental health services, for instance, through pushing for the establishment of more local dental clinics and public dental insurance in my community. Such advocacy would take the form of lobbying the necessary authorities through the support of professional organizations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) (Olson & Stokes, 2016).
Defend your position with legal, ethical, and professional evidence.
My ethical position to try and support patients to address dental health care services would be supported by legal, ethical and professional evidence. According to the basic human rights enumerated in the US Constitution, every individual has the right to health care. Advocating for a patient to access dental health care services will therefore be within their legal rights. On the other hand, relying on the ethical principles of justice, it is important for healthcare practitioners to ensure access to healthcare services, especially among underserved and marginalized populations. Finally, the professional code of ethics for nurses through provision 8 refers to health as a universal human right and calls on nurses to advocate for the best outcomes for their patients (Olson & Stokes, 2016). It is the duty of
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