Political Activity Reflective Journal Paper

Political Activity Reflective Journal Paper

Political Activity Reflective Journal Paper

During the practicum, I participated in awareness campaigns on gun violence and racism, which are major public health issues. One of the political activities that I participated in was Wear Orange for Gun Violence Awareness Day. The political activity took place on Tuesday 6/7/22 at 6:30 pm at H. Lee Dennison Building 100 Veterans Hwy, Hauppauge, NY. During this event, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone marked National Gun Violence Awareness Day by revealing new active shooter training for local schools, houses of worship, and big box stores. Bellone mentioned that being prepared for the worst could save lives. Besides, it is essential that every person knows the tools to decrease the response time in an active shooter situation are set. The announcement of Gun Violence Awareness Day comes after a series of deadly shootings countrywide in the last two weeks. The shooting includes those at a supermarket in Buffalo, an elementary school in Uvalde, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, a hospital in Tulsa, and outside a church in Ames, Iowa (AAN, 2022).

BUY A CUSTOM- PAPER HERE

I also participated in the Wear Orange gun violence awareness day at Eisenhower Park on 6/3/2022. On this day, politicians, activist groups, and citizens headed to Eisenhower Park to promote change with respect to gun violence in the country. The Wear Orange event brought individuals together all over Long Island to promote common-sense gun legislation and gun safety in the country. Some people who attended the event were survivors of gun violence, while others were people who lost family and friends to gun violence. 

What personal thoughts/insights you had as you began/participated in this political activity?

My participation in political activities surrounding the issue of gun violence and racism was driven by my insight that gun violence disproportionally affects minority racial groups in the country, especially Blacks. For instance, statistics show that Blacks in the US are three times more likely to be shot and killed by the police than Whites (Swanson, 2020). The trend worsens in large towns and cities, where Blacks account for 68% of homicide victims. Besides, my interest was driven by learning that assaults, gun homicides, and police shootings are disproportionately rampant in historically underfunded neighborhoods and towns (Swanson, 2020). The inadequate funding increases the long-standing racial inequities in the country. Gun violence tends to cluster in specific social networks and neighborhood sub-sections.

I also had the insight that racism is a public health crisis in the US and a key driver of racial health inequities. It is a public health crisis and has been at the forefront, especially with regard to state and municipal governments that have created legislation, resolutions, and declarations. Racism has been associated with gun violence and disproportionately affects Black Americans. They experience ten- times the gun homicides, 18 times the gun assault injuries, and almost three times the fatal shootings by police of white Americans (Swanson, 2020). I learned that gun violence alone lowers the life expectancy of Black Americans by four years. Besides, gun violence in the US reflects and worsens racial inequities.

Did it impact your own notion of politics or power?

The political activities significantly impacted my notions of politics and power. I learned that political power is essential in driving successful political awareness campaigns. Political power is the ability to influence populations’ behavior through enacting, approving, and implementing laws and regulations (Gore & Parker, 2019). Besides, I learned that political power enables leaders to control the society’s policies, functions, and culture. Consequently, individuals who hold political power control how people live their lives. Political power is crucial for the well-being of society, and political power structures must exist.

What did you learn about the nature of the political identity of the person(s), group, community, organization etc. you worked with?

Various groups like Moms Demand Action, medical professionals, and local officials wore orange in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The central point of the Eisenhower rally was a memorial to remember the victims of the Texas school shooting and a sculpture made by a father who lost his son in the Parkland school shooting. I interacted with most of the participants and learned that they were looking for an end to the civilian use of assault weapons, stronger background checks, and other safety measures to reduce gun violence in the country.

In addition, I learned that residents in various parts of the country have for decades collaborated to promote public safety within their communities through activities like hospital-based violence intervention programs and street outreach. However, policymakers need to do their part and apply their political power. Americans demand that they utilize their political power and prioritize solutions to gun violence. The policymakers also need to assess the racial impacts of these solutions and create systems to eradicate and promote accountability for police shootings.

In what way(s) was this experience influenced by your role or education as a nurse?

My nursing education influenced the political activity experience since I understand that gun violence is a significant public health concern. The burdens and contributors to gun violence vary globally, making it important for nursing students to understand the local context of this worldwide incident (Richmond & Foman, 2019). Nursing goals include keeping people healthy and safe and helping those with injuries to return to their optimal levels of health and well-being. Therefore, understanding the factors that get together to injure individuals with guns in various physical, economic, social, and cultural environments puts nurses to expand the dialogue beyond pro-gun versus anti-gun and design and conduct rigorous studies to alleviate firearm violence.

Based on my nursing education and experience, I made inquiries on relevant areas of primary prevention that focus on individual and environmental risk factors. Besides, my nursing education influenced me to focus on approaches to managing the post-injury physical and psychological consequences and interventions to mitigate the long-term consequences of gun violence. I learned that alleviating the burden of gun violence and improving the health and safety of individuals, families, and communities is a nursing role. Therefore, health promotion in light of gun violence should be integrated into nursing science.

How did this experience impact your notion of our current U.S. health care system?

The practicum experience impacted my perception that our health care system has a major role in preventing gun violence. Gun violence has negatively impacted the healthcare system. The costs of gun injuries include increased workload for providers and healthcare costs from treatment and insurance claims processing. Thus, health care systems countrywide need to build on established hospital-based violence intervention models to create coordinated, system-wide programs (Richmond & Foman, 2019). These programs should give healthcare providers and social workers the tools they need to have conversations with their patients about preventing gun injuries.

References

American Academy of Nursing (AAN). (2022). Gun Violence and Racism are Public Health Crises in America.

Gore, R., & Parker, R. (2019). Analyzing power and politics in health policies and systems. Global Public Health, 14(4), 481-488. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2019.1575446

Richmond, T. S., & Foman, M. (2019). Firearm Violence: A Global Priority for Nursing Science. Journal of nursing scholarship: an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 51(3), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12421

Swanson, J. W. (2020). The color of risk protection orders: gun violence, gun laws, and racial justice. Injury Epidemiology, 7(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-020-00272-z

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY IN THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

Guidelines for Political Activity Assignment

Purpose:
• The student will participate in a self-directed political activity to gain skills needed by nurses in the political/health care policy arenas.
• The student will reflect on this political activity, designed to raise awareness of the need for change in the U.S. Health Care System.

Instructions:
• Engage in a political activity (volunteering, campaigning, activism, advocacy, civic participation, education, online.). This activity can be individual/agency/group/internet focused (or a combination)

• Write a reflective journal detailing the specifics of the experience, key facts, and activities in which you (would have) participated. This journal is to be submitted in a type written format

Journal Topics:

At least (3) of the following topics should be addressed in the journal. Dated log entries should be of a narrative, anecdotal nature. Entire journal should be no longer than 3-5 type-written, double-spaced pages, 12pt. font (APA).

1. What personal thoughts/insights you had as you began/participated in this political activity?
2. Did it impact your own notion of politics or power?
3. Did this experience reveal any of the challenges involved with political activity?
4. What did you learn about the nature of the political identity of the person(s), group, community, organization etc. you worked with?
5. In what way(s) was this experience influenced by your role or education as a nurse?
6. What skills did you bring to this experience? What skills did you gain, or would you need to secure if you were to continue in this activity?
7. Did this experience reveal any of the challenges associated with engaging people politically?
8. How did this experience impact your notion of our current U.S. health care system?

ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY IN
THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

Political Activity Grading Criteria

Student: _________________________________ Grade________

15 pts
Completion of 8 or more hours of political activities. Overall Format: organized, thoughtful, clarity of ideas, writing style utilizes APA format. Journal entries thoughtfully address at least 3 of the identified topics in the guidelines Specific details of activities were provided including time spent and the engaged experience

 

___Reflective Journal (15) points
• Journal entries thoughtfully address at least (3) of the identified topics (5)

• Discusses activities in sufficient detail to capture the essence of the experience (5)

• Overall: organized; thoughtful; clarity of ideas; writing style utilizes APA format; (5)

Political. Activity that I have participated in
• Tuesday 6/7/22 at 6:30pm at H. Lee Dennison Building
100 Veterans Hwy,Hauppauge, NY 11788; where County Executive Steve Bellone will present a proclamation declaring the first Friday in June National Gun Violence Awareness Day…..4hrs
• Friday 6/3/22 @ Eisenhower park, gun violence awareness day….4 hrs

Wear Orange

this website gives info on why wear orange for gun violence awareness day..you can utilize this website for resources

can also elaborate on how Racism is a Public Health Crises in America as a political activity….i will include an attachment “gun violence and racism are public health crisis”