Universal Health Care

Why Universal Health Care is wrong for Nurses in the United States

Introduction

Universal health care is a health care system employed by several countries around the world such as Canada that aims to cover basic health care of every citizen in a country. United States do not employ universal health care although it is the most prosperous nation in the world and its government is surely capable to provide its all citizen with the basic health care facilities. But government seems to be unwilling, however some stakeholders, such as registered nurses and physicians, are also not in the favor of implementing universal health care in the United States owing to several reasons. By creating a universal health care, it will help decrease the number of lobbyers which in turn will cut government funding to those special interest groups. There are 45 million Americans uninsured and according to CNN report 45,000 Americans die each year due to lack of affordable health care. So by creating a universal health care, we can expect to see a longer lifespan in American population as it is the case in countries that have a universal health care. Countries like Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Canada all have successful universal health care programs that cover all their lawful residents. These countries are proof that a universal health care is possible and effective (Williams, & Torrens, 2010).

Discussion

From the point of view of healthcare providers and nurses, universal health care can result in decreased quality of American healthcare system as its implementation will give coverage of health care to wider American public and physicians and nurses will be faced with more sicker patients in ED (Emergency Department) and more patients needing primary care that will eventually leave fewer resources for other patients who needs more attention and emergent care from nurses and physicians. American government need to hire good amount of additional nurses and physicians in order to make sure it is not compromising on the quality of health care which will be provided to the patients under universal health care. This can also solve unemployment problem and result in increased tax collection by the government, it will also put extra burden on the exchequer as government would not only be covering the basic level of health care for every American, but also paying the salaries of nurses and physicians as well as arranging other resources (machinery, medicine, supplies etc.) in order for the system to function smoothly and achieve its goal of providing improving the access of every American to the basic and appropriate health care services and improving the health outcomes of every American. If government is ready to hire required amount of extra nurses to support the universal health care program, in my humble opinion it will not be as bad as some nurses tend to think. Moreover, it will not only solve unemployment problem, but also bring poor and middle class in American society into the safety net that will be in place to ensure ...