Outpost nurse on a remote aboriginal reserve

Althea works as an outpost nurse on a remote aboriginal reserve in northern Ontario. For the past two months, she has been working hard to serve the numerous needs of the community. Being only one of two healthcare providers in the isolated community of 1300 people, Althea often feels overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for so many people. To make matters worse, the people living in the reserve seem to be sicker than any other patients Althea has ever cared for. Many of the children are malnourished, as their parents cannot afford to buy the extremely expensive ‘healthy foods’ offered at local stores, and severe illnesses like tuberculosis, which have been eradicated elsewhere in Canada, runs rampant on the reserve. Visiting the homes of her patients, Althea also sees that the living conditions for people on the reserve are less than adequate, as many homes have mold, are damaged, and lack plumbing. Both through her nursing practice and speaking to the people who live on the reserve, Althea feels she has started to begin to understand what the barriers and challenges of living healthy a healthy life on a northern remote reserve are. She wants to do something to help her patients but is not sure where to start.
3. Imagine you are a friend of Althea’s living in an urban area of Ontario. Althea sends you an email expressing that she is enjoying her job on the reserve but is feeling stressed from the pressures of working in an underserviced area. She also expresses missing the experience of going for coffee at Starbucks, and to the movies on the weekend, but feels guilty for wanting to leave the reserve. Explain what you think is going on with Althea? Are you concerned for her? Why or why not? What recommendations would you make to Althea?