Vulnerable Population Group Behavior and Motivation Sample

Paper Instructions

Academic level – Undergrad 1-2
Type of paper – Critical thinking
Topic Title – Vulnerable population group behavior and motivation
Instructions:

My topic Choice for week #1 was: Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (Full)

For this assignment, you will focus on the vulnerable population group you chose during Week 1 for your paper.

Respond to the prompts utilizing at least three scholarly references to support your answers.

1. Discuss how low literacy within your vulnerable population group affects the group’s health and how you, as an APRN, can improve their overall health literacy.
2. How do the three (social, distributive, market) concepts/types of justice affect the health of your vulnerable population? How would you suggest enhancing social justice in advanced practice nursing?
3. Analyze how you could motivate the vulnerable population that you chose in Week 1 to make changes. What is your primary health concern for this group and what theory might you utilize to encourage them to make behavior changes?

Sample

People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) constitute a vulnerable population with distinct health requirements and difficulties. TBI can lead to noteworthy cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial limitations that impair their overall well-being and ability to obtain healthcare. It is crucial to comprehend and tackle the elements influencing this demographic to offer effective patient-focused medical care. Nurses can improve TBI health outcomes through education strategies, advocacy, and motivational approaches tailored to cognitive impairments.

Several factors associated with TBI contribute to this population’s poor health literacy and healthcare access. Reading comprehension and memory problems impede understanding health information and following treatment recommendations, even in patients with mild injury (Tabet et al., 2020). Consequently, these people may experience poor medication adherence, increased hospitalizations, frustration navigating the healthcare system, and worse health outcomes. Nurses must use plain language without medical jargon when educating patients and supplement verbal instructions with written materials or pictographs. Educational interventions may include patient and family education sessions, web-based practices, written materials, and online support groups (Hahn et al., 2020). Regularly restating important details and using the teach-back technique are equally vital for enhancing health literacy. Utilizing tools like appointment summaries, medication schedules, and other resources can assist patients in comprehending and memorizing health-related information more effectively.

On a broader level, a lack of rehabilitation and support services and difficulty accessing healthcare benefits demonstrate issues of distributive justice for those with TBI. Many patients struggle to obtain needed occupational, physical, speech, and mental health therapy after insurance coverage ends. According to Norman et al. (2022), limited access to transportation, affordable housing, vocational retraining, and disability benefits also creates barriers. Stigma and social exclusion related to disability contribute to social injustice for this population group. TBI patients may experience discrimination and isolation due to medical, cognitive, and psychosocial deficits. As advocates, nurses have an ethical responsibility to promote policy changes to increase rehabilitation funding, strengthen the social safety net, and expand access to healthcare for this group. Healthcare professionals must also educate peers and the community about the rights and needs of individuals with TBI to reduce stigma.

Apathy, impulsivity, and cognitive deficits caused by traumatic brain injury present barriers to motivating and sustaining behavior changes in these patients. My primary concern is medication nonadherence, which can exacerbate symptoms and hinder recovery for people with TBI. The theory of planned behavior suggests intent drives change, so motivational interviewing to increase patient self-efficacy could encourage engagement (Tsai & Yan, 2021). Attainable goal setting, family support, and other external motivators can help overcome deficits and empower patients to engage in positive health behaviors like medication adherence. Accommodating shorter visits and narrow, focused health goals based on priority concerns can boost motivation and limit frustration, given the cognitive load limitations associated with TBI. Adapting the nursing approach to meet the unique needs of each TBI patient can empower behavior changes like medication adherence.

Overall, individuals with TBI have multifaceted vulnerabilities requiring patient-centered, holistic care from advanced practice nurses. Thoughtfully addressing issues like health literacy, justice, motivation theory, and the other biopsychosocial factors impacting this group can significantly improve health outcomes. As advocates, educators, caregivers, and healthcare leaders, APRNs must fully understand and empathetically respond to the needs and challenges faced by TBI patients. With knowledgeable, compassionate support, advanced practice nurses can help empower these people to maximize their health and quality of life.

References
Hahn, E. A., Boileau, N. R., Hanks, R. A., Sander, A. M., Miner, J. A., & Carlozzi, N. E. (2020). Health literacy, health outcomes, and the caregiver role in traumatic brain injury. Rehabilitation Psychology, 65(4), 401–408. https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000330

Norman, A., Curro, V., Holloway, M., Percuklievska, N., & Ferrario, H. (2022). Experiences of individuals with acquired brain injury and their families interacting with community services: A systematic scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45(4), 739–751. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2043465

Tabet, S., LeBlanc, J., Frenette, L. C., Seresova, A., Laberge-Poirier, A., Alturki, A. Y., Marcoux, J., Maleki, M., & de Guise, E. (2020). Early reading comprehension and speed of reading impairments in individuals with uncomplicated and complicated mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Communication Disorders, 88, 106047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2020.106047

Tsai, L.-M., & Yan, Y.-H. (2021). A preliminary study on applying holistic health care model on medical education behavioral intention: A theoretical perspective of planned behavior. BMC Medical Education, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02746-0