Community health case study - Poverty: Nursing

Nurse Mozasu works as a community health nurse at the health department and is assisting a rural school to address dental care among its students. Nurse Mozasu goes through the steps of the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model to make decisions by recognizing and analyzing cues, prioritizing hypotheses, generating solutions, taking action, and evaluating outcomes.

First, Nurse Mozasu recognizes important cues, including the results from a survey distributed to parents of students at the school. The survey included questions about access to dental products, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss; access to routine dental services, such as dental cleanings; financial ability to obtain products and access services; and other barriers to maintaining their child’s dental hygiene.

Additionally, the survey gathered demographic data, including the number of individuals in each home; age of each family member; household income; and living situation, such as the type of dwelling or if they rent or own their home.

Next, Nurse Mozasu analyzes these cues. He notes many parents, particularly those from low-income households, reported difficulty accessing dental products and services due to financial constraints and lack of reliable transportation. Several parents mentioned they can’t afford dental insurance and feel embarrassed that they were unable to provide their child with access to routine dental care and were reluctant to discuss their needs due to the stigma associated with poverty.

Nurse Mozasu knows poverty occurs when there are insufficient financial resources to meet an individual or family’s basic living expenses, which includes medical services like dental care. He also knows that income level affects health, and that those living in poverty experience poorer health outcomes compared to those with higher incomes. Children are at particular risk, since poverty can negatively impact their growth, development, and overall health.

Nurse Mozasu understands that there are many factors that affect health outcomes, including being unable to access providers or clinics, either due to financial constraints, lack of transportation, or inconvenient clinic hours; increased stress; and stigma. On top of that, certain types of care such as dental care, aren’t always covered by employer-provided health insurance plans, especially for those working for lower wages.

Nurse Mozasu recognizes that the parents need financial assistance in accessing dental care for their children.

Now, using the information he’s gathered, Nurse Mozasu chooses a priority hypothesis of financial insecurity. Then, he generates solutions to address the parents’ financial insecurity, and he establishes the expected outcome that the students will have access to routine dental services within 1 year.