Vulnerability and its relation with community
According to Reicher (2010), vulnerability is the extent to which a person cannot resist nor cope with the effects brought about by a disaster. Vulnerability extends to populations as well as organizations. When it applies to a population, it becomes a vulnerable group. In community health, vulnerable groups are groups whose health and social service providers have not addressed their health needs to the fullest. Group vulnerability comes about when the community cannot obtain or understand information because of the barriers brought about by various circumstances. Such groups are unable to make respond to such circumstances as a group. In the United States about 11% of the under the category of vulnerable groups because of physical and mental disability (Reicher, 2010). For example, relative to the events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there were reports of social, economic, and physical biasness. The vulnerable groups in that as they waited for evacuations from the areas affected by the hurricanes. The organizations inability to provide shelter or emergency services to the group was a matter of concern. The public health community has since strived to create a framework that would address the challenges of such vulnerable groups (Reicher, 2010).
Women and children as vulnerable groups
According to Reicher (2010), many communities around the globe have a . They regard the female status as being lesser or inferior to the status of the male. Women become a vulnerable group in situations characterized by conflict. The characteristics that bring about vulnerability to women are physical. In other words, such vulnerability comes as the specific health needs, hygienic needs, and the role women take as mothers (Reicher, 2010). In addition, women suffer more from poverty and exclusions that result from armed conflict. Vulnerability for women comes because of lack of well-designed health care delivery systems. According to Reicher (2010), these to promote womens health care by addressing pediatric and geriatric care for the women.
Children become a vulnerable group because of their lack of capacity. The age of the child is the characteristic that makes a child vulnerable. In other words, the physical and the the child a target for abuse (Reicher, 2010).
Rural health and community health nursing
According to Rosenblatt (2009), rural health is the field in medicine that involves the study of delivery of health and healthcare services to rural areas. Such study involves the medical methods of midwifery, nursing, and geography of health. Rural health is limited in its scope of practice. It scope extends to addressing epidemiology, reproductive health, communicable diseases, immunizations and health at home. On the other hand, Community nursing entails the focus of distribution of care to vulnerable groups as well as promoting resiliency in the community. In addition, it entails the development and implementation of health policies for purposes of promoting health in the community (Rosenblatt, 2009). Here, integrating community nursing into rural health increases its autonomy. According to Rosenblatt (2009), the autonomy should not extend a certain degree. Increased independence seems like a striking advantage to rural health. However, it is not ideal for rural health institutions to operate in isolation especially where they are the only health providers in the area.
