Underserved Community Reflection Paper

An underserved community is defined as a community whose members have some sort of barrier preventing access to the health care system. When considering an underserved population, typically indigent care is the first to come to mind. However, there are many different reason people cannot get access to the health care system. These social determinants of health exist for a variety of reasons including but not limited to- money, education- including language and literacy, and lack of transportation. In the state of Colorado, one significant barrier to accessing health care is the language barrier for the Hispanic and Latino community. The challenges which I have directly encountered have been instrumental in preparing me for my future not only as a nurse, but also with working with an underserved community. In 2010-2013 I was the lead coach of the Winter Park Competition Center’s girls snowboard team. During my as the lead coach, one of the six athletes I coached was deaf. I worked with an interpreter to create an original vocabulary of signs to communicate proper technique and skill development. The ambiguity and nuances …show more content…
Regardless of the barrier, clear, concise and culturally sensitive communication is a key ingredient providing patient care. These experiences have motivated me to become certified to discuss health care in Spanish after I have completed my BSN. A Translation device helps discuss the task at hand. However, I truly believe humanized communication is necessary to holistically meet the needs of those who are underserved due to communication barriers. The aforementioned experiences have been instrumental in preparing me not only for my future of providing care for underserved populations, but advocating initiatives within the community which address the social determinants of the underserved