The Role of the American Red Cross in Enhancing Public Health and Safety, Promoting Equal Opportunity, and Improving Quality of Life
The American Red Cross is an important factor in community preparedness, seeking to develop public health and safety, increase socioeconomic leveling, and improve the quality of life in the United States of America. The wide range of services it offers, like emergency aid, disaster relief, educational programs, help for families of military soldiers, and blood donation, shows the organization’s dedication to helping people overcome pain and create a solidary community. American Red Cross has a vital role in dealing with different community issues and improving society’s resiliency.
American Red Cross Mission and Vision
The American Red Cross is guided by a mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Its vision is to turn compassion into action so that people affected by disasters can have shelter, food, and the means to recover, rebuild, and thrive (American Red Cross, 2023).
Contributions to Public Health and Safety
Improvement of public health and safety index
American Red Cross’s mission and vision help to derive the vanguard principles that enable the organization to significantly improve the public health and safety index. The main purpose of the organization, which is targeted at bringing success to those suffering in emergency situations, is the de facto force behind its program to improve the community’s well-being and safety. This mission is a symbol of the high price to pay for the commitment to ready-to-respond, strong, and preventive actions that work to protect public health and lives.
Providing Timely Help and Crisis Relief During Emergencies
American Red Cross is one of the vital organizations involved in disaster relief and emergency assistance. In case of natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, or floods and human-made emergencies, such as house fires or responses to mass casualty incidents, volunteers of the organization are deployed instantly after the assessment of the situation, and the volunteers respond with trained resources to the affected areas (Hassan, 2019). Not only does it save lives, but it also causes health risks to be mitigated, The Red Cross, in its disaster response programs, distributes shelter and medical care and gives clean water and hygiene packages to survivors.
CPR and First Aid Training
A prime example of how the organization’s mission and vision materialize is through its national and international projects. The Red Cross creates programs for CPR and first aid training in the local strata that represent the needy people on the ground with the goal of strengthening their capacity and enabling them with hands-on skills. Through the shared burden of community members to respond swiftly and successfully to medical emergencies, the Red Cross valuably contributes to the health and security of the greater public, as part of its mission of relieving suffering and precluding or lessening harm.
Disaster Relief
In addition, at a global level, the American Red Cross provides comprehensive disaster relief efforts in the case of humanitarian crises. For instance, in disaster situations that are triggered by hurricanes, earthquakes, or torrents, the agency mobilizes trained volunteers and resources to offer emergency medical care, shelter, and hygiene products to the affected populations. Through such initiatives, the Red Cross not only solves the current health problems but also works to prevent diseases from spreading and create long-term health resilience in disaster-affected areas according to its vision: compassion into action.
Example
The mission and vision of the organization are demonstrably linked to their service contributions to the health and safety of the general public as showcased by their response to the 2010 earthquake that shook Haiti to the core. After the event, the American Red Cross deployed medical teams, delivered urgent supplies, and opened emergency facilities to help impacted communities deal with the disaster. The charity organization did not only provide lifesaving support but also critical assistance and resources, thus playing a crucial role in saving lives, public health, and safety, and in so doing, proving its vision and mission.
American Red Cross, in the end, the mission-oriented approach & vision of the organization will help it to aid public health and safety in a better way. The organization creates community resiliency and saves lives despite emergencies by contributing through its local and global efforts to community empowerment and effective disaster response in line with its mission and vision.
Promotion of Equal Opportunity and Quality of Life Improvement
The American Red Cross successfully rids the communities it serves of issues like unfair treatment, poor quality of life, and the risk factors affecting social, cultural, economic, and physical aspects. Inadequate societal support, such as discrimination and general unawareness, are some barriers that can complicate the efforts of the organization to create grassroots mobilization. More so, the Red Cross quite effectively accomplishes this by collaborating with local community authorities and institutions to build trust and spread awareness of its services. (Bhatt & Bathija, 2020). Through recruitment policies that focus on inclusivity and diversity both among its workers and volunteers, the Red Cross succeeds in ensuring the accessibility of its programs to people of any and all origins. Red Cross American shows that a high-capacity organization that supplies the community with equal opportunities and immerses the community with improved well-being, overtaking all the social, cultural, economic, and physical barriers.
Social hurdles, such as discrimination and a deficit of awareness, can retard the group from succeeding in meeting the marginalized populations. However, the Red Cross does not forget to work on the mentioned obstacles by negotiating with leaders and organizations that local communities are aware of and recognize the Red Cross’s roles. By ensuring that it has an internally diversified staff and volunteers, the Red Cross stays relevant to different people from distinct cultures. These people may differ in terms of culture, may come from different cultural backgrounds, and may have unique traditions with regard to healthcare. Hence, these differences may also pose challenges to the Red Cross’s programs. In order to overcome these obstacles, organizations provide culturally aware activities and materials that are tailored for diverse language and cultural groups. By acknowledging and seeing the worth of diverse cultures, the Red Cross has the motivation that the services for all citizens would be applicable and accessible.
Furthermore, economic barriers, like lack of financial resources, may hinder individuals from utilizing the Red Cross’s services as the service may require payment. Despite this fact, the organization has facilities that offer programs in which they provide monetary assistance to guarantee that cost and finance do not pose enablers to access to basic healthcare services and disaster relief assistance. Moreover, the Red Cross strives to tackle problems at the root of the economic division with campaigns for poverty alleviation that propose to establish policies that will result in increased social justice and economic freedom (Safarpour et al., 2020).
Physical barriers like geographical remoteness or infrastructural insufficiency can similarly keep people from having access to Red Cross services, with specialisticity in rural and underserved regions. The community organization uses mobile units and field teams to serve, specifically, the remote areas. The main objective of the Red Cross involves investing in infrastructure and technology to increase its accessibility for people residing in areas scattered across.
Impact of Funding Sources, Policy, and Legislation
Funding sources, policy, and legislation have a profound and complex effect on the workings of the American Red Cross in its service provision. Funding sources greatly influence the extent to which a given organization is able to fulfill the expected tasks, including emergency response. Government grants, private donations, corporate partnerships, and fundraising activities are the major funding sources for the Red Cross, which the fluctuations in funding levels can reflect and, consequently, in the ability of the organization to cover its operations and help individuals, families, and communities.
Government policies and legislation impact the environment in which the American Red Cross is able to operate, molding the style of service delivery, priorities, and techniques. For instance, healthcare policy and regulations shall alter the presence and accessibility of healthcare services provided by the Red Cross mostly to the disadvantaged groups. Correspondingly, disaster response procedures and emergency management guidelines play a significant role in the organization’s capacity to coordinate emergent operations and offer timely support to distressed communities (Dodd et al., 2020).
Furthermore, changes in policy and legislation may have unintended consequences for community resilience and well-being. For example, shifts in disaster response policies or funding allocations may disproportionately impact marginalized communities, exacerbating existing disparities and inequalities. Similarly, changes in healthcare policy may affect access to essential healthcare services for underserved populations, leading to increased health risks and disparities.
Impact on Local Community Health and Safety Needs
The Red Cross’ positive impact on the health and safety of local communities through the provision of emergency aid and relief from disaster phenomena is undeniable. The organization reassigns trained volunteers along with the assets to the stricken areas at times of crises, for instance, disasters that are natural, such as hurricanes, floods, and forest fires, and instances of emergencies that are man-made, such as house fires and mass casualty incidents. These medical workers render primary medical care, shelter, food, and other basic necessities; consequently, healthcare and safety in the community are properly minimized.
Moreover, the American Red Cross runs classes and announcements that help people be prepared and stand strong against emergencies. Further, the organization has first aid, CPR, and disaster preparedness training courses, which it offers to community members and groups. The Red Cross provides these competencies and ultimately gives people in communities the awareness and skills needed to adequately face emergencies, resulting in fewer injuries and risks and saving lives.
Nurses role
Nurses can be engaged not only in auxiliary roles but also utilize the knowledge and skill power that they possess to influence the American Red Cross mission. Nurses can mentor in giving medical assistance during disasters; for instance, during relief operations, their clinical expertise and practice come in handy to assess individuals and give them needed treatment. They cannot only contribute as educators but also manage to conduct first aid, CPR, and other health-related lessons for the community.
Additionally, nurse specialists may participate in public health programs of the Red Cross by holding health screenings, blood drives, and health promotion. Their competence in clinical aspects is indispensable, and they play a role as providers of the principles and techniques that are required for improving health promotion, preventing the worsening of diseases, and carrying out a health needs assessment of the community. The nurses have great chances to perform crucial interventions that focus on local health and safety concerns as well as cooperate with the American Red Cross (Liao et al., 2020). Be it during emergencies by providing direct patient care, during the health education process, or during public health advocacy, the nursing staff ranks among the hierarchy of key professionals in an organization’s mission and, similarly, within the communities they work with.
Conclusion
Finally, the American Red Cross represents the backbone of health and safety promotion, equal opportunity provision, and community enhancement. Via the diverse set of its programs and services, the organization seeks to fulfill the needs that range from emergency assistance and disaster relief to healthcare education and blood donation. In spite of many obstacles, including the social, cultural, economic, and physical barriers, the Red Cross continues with its mission, which is geared at alleviating human suffering and encouraging resilience. Nurses form an integral part of this mission and they complement the organization’s efforts with their knowledge and compassion. With the American Red Cross adapting and applying creative solutions to changing circumstances, the impact of the organization on community health and safety will only get stronger worldwide.
References
American Red Cross. (2023). About Us. Redcross.org. https://www.redcross.org/about-us.html
Bhatt, J., & Bathija, P. (2020). Ensuring access to quality health care in vulnerable communities. Academic Medicine, 93(9), 1271–1275. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000002254
Dodd, R. Y., Crowder, L. A., Haynes, J. M., Notari, E. P., Stramer, S. L., & Steele, W. R. (2020). Screening Blood Donors for HIV, HCV, and HBV at the American Red Cross: 10-Year Trends in Prevalence, Incidence, and Residual Risk, 2007 to 2016. Transfusion Medicine Reviews, 34(2), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmrv.2020.02.001
Hassan, I. (2019). The American Red Cross’ Disaster Protocol: Delaware Journal of Public Health, 5(4), 16–17. https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2019.10.006
Liao, Q., Yuan, J., Dong, M., Yang, L., Fielding, R., & Lam, W. W. T. (2020). Public Engagement and Government Responsiveness in the Communications About COVID-19 During the Early Epidemic Stage in China: Infodemiology Study on Social Media Data. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(5), e18796. https://doi.org/10.2196/18796
Safarpour, H., Fooladlou, S., Safi-Keykaleh, M., Mousavipour, S., Pirani, D., Sahebi, A., Ghodsi, H., Farahi-Ashtiani, I., & Dehghani, A. (2020). Challenges and barriers of humanitarian aid management in 2017 Kermanshah earthquake: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08722-5
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Question 
Research a selected local, national, or global nonprofit organization or government agency to determine how it contributes to public health and safety improvements, promotes equal opportunity, and improves the quality of life within the community. Submit your findings in a 3-5 page report.
The Role of the American Red Cross in Enhancing Public Health and Safety, Promoting Equal Opportunity, and Improving Quality of Life
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Introduction
Many organizations work to better local and global communities’ quality of life and promote health and safety in times of crisis. As public health and safety advocates, nurses must be cognizant of how such organizations help certain populations. As change agents, nurses must be aware of factors that impact the organization and the services that it offers. Familiarity with these organizations enables the nurse to offer assistance as a volunteer and source of referral.
This assessment provides an opportunity for you gain insight into the mission, vision, and operations of a community services organization.
Preparation
You are interested in expanding your role as a nurse and are considering working in an area where you can help to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life within the local or global community. You are aware of several nonprofit organizations and government agencies whose work contributes to this effort in some way. You have particular interest in one of these organizations but would like to know more about its contributions to public health and safety improvements. You would like to report the results of your research in a scholarly paper that you could submit for publication.