Healthcare and Nursing – Social Justice in Healthcare Distribution

1. Introduction

In many different contexts, self-righteousness seems evident on the part of those who critique the poor or make generalizations about them. One does not have to look far to see, for example, people elaborating about the “lazy poor” who are a “parasitic drain on the hard-working class.” Self-righteousness is defined as being smugly superior in one’s own self, and out of the three forms of self-righteousness to be mentioned in this paper, this definition will refer to all. Rather employed or not, the U.S. Census Bureau has consistently estimated that at least “37 million Americans are currently living below the poverty line” as measured by the standard of low-income in the United States. I feel confident in saying that those who critique the poor as such do not have to deal with the ups and downs that poverty gives. It is also fair to say that such people probably do not understand how complex poverty is and how it affects the human mind and spirit in so many life-altering ways. I decided to make poverty the focus of my paper because I learned through AP English 11 in my senior year that this is a critically complex social issue in which how it manifests differs across the United States. Also, many stratification systems are influenced by poverty because it is so widespread throughout the world, and so as a global pandemic, no nation should consider themselves safe from how poverty is or can be worsened on a large scale. As a future member in the world of work and business, understanding the complexity of social stratification and the various systems in which human life is disenfranchised – such as the system of poverty or the issues surrounding access to human and public services such as proper education or healthcare – is instrumental to contributing effectively towards the well-being of society as a whole. My paper will, I hope, portray why self-righteousness regarding the poor is erroneous, but also illustrate that such attitudes are born out of an oversimplification of poverty in the United States.

1.1. Definition of Social Justice

Social justice, in the context of practical ethics, is a concept based on the idea that every person has an equal right to the same treatment and condition in life. Ideally, all individuals should have equal social, political, and economic opportunities. Therefore, the rights of an individual should not be violated based on the class, gender, race, and sexuality. Social justice is expansive and includes a wide array of things from a just society and economy. Social justice is also a concept that certain privileges are unfair. These privileges not only benefit this person or persons but also are a barrier to the rights in which every person should have. There are two ways in which we can understand the concept of social justice. The first is individual rights and the second is good of the community. Individual rights are morally justifiable in which all individuals within a society are benefited in most of the cases. When the rights of different individuals undermine others, for example wealthy people have more opportunities in a society than those who are less fortunate, this would be seen as an unfair privilege and therefore an unfair social justice. Next, common good, this is the understanding that as a society, everyone should have a right to a rich and fulfilling life. It is generally assumed that the benefits of equality and social justice are a better citizen. When groups such as children, elderly, disabled and people of that nature are excluded from the common good it is referred to as social injustice. Social justice means that we, as a society, must provide certain things; such as health care, social security, and education to all. It is most commonly expressed through civil rights. This is a fairly drastic approach and often changing the institution that is enforcing the injustices. Often, the lack of civil liberties is caused by overlap between the various forms of social injustices. In the work “Social Justice: A Case for Marriage Equality,” it is argued that the state must recognize same-sex marriage because doing so is a matter of fundamental civil rights. It makes the case that state discriminations prohibits gays and lesbians from carrying out the common and often cherished human right of formalizing their relationships as heterosexuals can. It is in the denial of this liberty of one to most cherished rights that the injustice exists.

1.2. Importance of Social Justice in Healthcare

Social justice in healthcare is of great importance, especially when the government provides for the health of its entire population. According to the Institute of Medicine, if the society is to move forward, then every individual in the population must have access to adequate and quality healthcare services. The United States has been providing healthcare services to the people such as immigrants and veterans, but there is still a wide gap in terms of who should get the services. Researchers have found out that most of the social injustices in healthcare are brought about by the difference in healthcare management and neglect between places in the same city. People living in places that are naturally endowed with better resources tend to receive better healthcare quality compared to those living in poorer environmental conditions. To exacerbate this, the poorer individuals in the less endowed areas are either underinsured or uninsured and cannot have access to good healthcare as dictated in the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services. This trend affects the society as a whole because the sick people in those areas cannot work effectively, hence the national income is affected. The political left supports national uniform healthcare and many theories and articles have been published in favor of equality in health maintenance which result in a thesis and academic writing for students in healthcare. In solidarity with the Catholics Bishops 1993, it is fair to state that the “most important” right of them all is the right to life. Every “right” to education, healthcare, or any other area is a right only if it is based on the inalienable right to life from the moment of conception to natural death. This can justify the importance of social justice and equality in healthcare. Its main aim and purpose are the physical and emotional well-being of the individuals. Governor Arnold declares that the health of society is measured by the quality of life of its most vulnerable members and healthcare is a top priority of government and it is essential to the life and health of a person. He is so much convinced with the belief that social justice in healthcare is vital. He looks at life as a gift from God and it is the duty, and responsibility to protect that “God given” gift. He perceives social justice and all sort of health policies are aimed at addressing various social and economic disparities. Chrétien et al 2007 accused the government for political misuse of the term the life and privacy of patients were often violated and terms of life could be interpreted arbitrarily. There was no guarantee that fair and equal treatment is given based but not because of the financial or social status of an individual and this can reflect the importance of the ethical leadership and the promoting a culture of integrity by the government. Lastly, implementing just in time inventory may actually reduce the waiting time for healthcare services. This is the best way compared to previously used by the hospitals using the behavior and consumption of patients to evaluate patient needs and the number of healthcare services to be provided. Placing the burden of healthcare financial and social success on the patients would not solve the problem of social justice. Patients may not have time to wait until the advance stages of illness, in order to get the treatment provided for rather their life could be posed in danger. Also it could not give equal differential value on life and may be seen as people in certain age or worth of life are to be given more immediate attention. On the hand, patients would not overuse healthcare services as it will be provided at the exactly right personal time and will help to alleviate the pressure on healthcare providers. Such a method allows all patients to receive equal healthcare accessibility because all control is shifted to healthcare providers to anticipate and fulfill healthcare needs.

2. Historical Perspective

2.1. Evolution of Healthcare Distribution

2.2. Challenges Faced in Ensuring Social Justice

3. Ethical Considerations

3.1. Principles of Social Justice in Healthcare

3.2. Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare Distribution

4. Impact on Vulnerable Populations

4.1. Disparities in Access to Healthcare

4.2. Effects on Underprivileged Communities

5. Policy and Legislation

5.1. Government Initiatives for Healthcare Equity

5.2. Legal Frameworks Addressing Social Justice

6. Healthcare Professionals’ Role

6.1. Advocacy for Social Justice in Healthcare

6.2. Training and Education for Healthcare Providers

7. Strategies for Improvement

7.1. Community Outreach Programs

7.2. Collaborations with Non-Profit Organizations

7.3. Research and Data Analysis for Informed Decision Making

8. Case Studies

8.1. Successful Models of Social Justice in Healthcare Distribution

8.2. Lessons Learned from Failed Attempts

9. Future Directions

9.1. Innovations in Healthcare Delivery for Social Justice

9.2. Potential Challenges and Solutions