For module 8 assignment pic of website for article mentioned is on the first snapshot, the organization that to discuss will be Nassau county jail. Will send a copy of module 5 assignment that was don

I believe that eliminating health care disparities, improving quality care, providing communication assistance, providing easily understood patient materials and signs commonly encountered in the work area, and providing verbal and written notices in preferred languages are the top five principles of the CLAS Standards that should be a priority at any organization. For this journal entry I must reflect on the top five principles and write why these principles should be priority. I would like to discuss the jail setting. I have worked at nursing homes for most of my career. I spent two years working at a jail dispensing medication to inmates. After entering the building, employees are shut out of the real world. I became an inmate without having to commit a crime. Reflecting on those two years, the facility applied each principle respectfully.

Many inmates complained that they were not seen as fast as they anticipated, besides that, I do not see what I could have done to improve how I could make the environment better to improve quality of service. There are inmates who commit inhumane crimes and the healthcare team looked past what they did and continue to provide holistic care to each person that came to the clinic. Many health inequalities occur because an inmate is judge based on the crime they committed. During my orientation phase, speakers shared their experiences at the jail and each of them shared the same statement. In summary they said that just because these people were in jail, they should not be devalued, degraded, or disrespected. As healthcare professionals, our mission was to care for the sick, the status of a person should not change that mission.

I came across different ethnicities, the population was not evenly divided. There was a certain percentage of every race in that building and everyone that came to the clinic was provided with the same care and dignity, which is an example of eliminating health care disparities. To improve quality of care, the physician would not hesitate to transfer the residents to the hospital for further evaluation if deemed appropriate. I had several opportunities to work as an “intake nurse” (the nurse who collects information from the inmate after booking; I would educate about implanting a PPD and the purpose of collecting a urine specimen from the female inmates), some inmates did not speak English, translators were easily accessible, written documents were available and provided in their desired/preferred language to maintain effective communication.

I honestly believe that each principle was practiced at this facility. To maintain that the healthcare team continue to apply these principles to facilitate quality of service staff should periodically be reminded or in-serviced on the importance of having quality care provided through simply communicating and avoiding anything that could be a barrier to communication. Such as, asking the patient a question which will allow them to respond with an answer that indicates they understand what is being communicated or done. Informing new staff on how and where to find resources that are available to facilitate the care that needs to be rendered would also be beneficial. Allowing the patient to provide their insight on a situation and reinforcing or correcting if necessary to facilitate participation in care.