Essay On Welfare States

Superior Essays
A welfare state is defined as: “a system whereby the government undertakes to protect the health and well-being of its citizens, especially those in financial or social need, by means of grants, pensions, and other benefits.” Both the United States of American and Iceland are considered welfare states, however the role each government plays in regards to healthcare is monumentally different. The dissimilar approaches to healthcare can be explained by the regime each country follows. Iceland is a social democratic welfare state that has a high degree of de-commodification. This means that citizens of a democratic welfare state are given certain services regardless of the economic situation. This is true in regards to personal finance and the financial state of the nation. The United States functions as a liberal democratic welfare state which mean that citizens are treated on an individual bases and services they receive are dependent upon the free market. The difference between being a social and liberal welfare state has proven to substantially affect all aspects of healthcare. Iceland is Europe’s western most country. It is located north west of the United Kingdom. The country is approximately the size of Kentucky, though much of the land is inhabitable. In 2013 the population was 330,000 which is about half the population of the city of Boston while the United States has 316 million inhabitants. The national language is Icelandic but English is widely spoken. Eighty percent of the population of Iceland is Lutheran although there is a separation of church and state. There is a 5% unemployment rate which is much lower than that of the US which has an unemployment rate of 7.4% (Iceland 2015). Iceland and the United States both have medical healthcare teams made up of physicians, psychiatrists, nurses and nurse midwives. …show more content…
In 2010 Iceland had 4875 nurses and nurse midwives which is equivalent to about 15 nurses to every 1000 people. Iceland had 1146 physicians in 2010 which is equivalent to about 3.5 physicians per 1000 patients most of which work in the public health system. Where in the United States there were 2.5 physicians per 1000 patients many of which work in private practices (Resnikoff, 2012). Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are not widely used in Iceland. On the other hand the United States utilizes mid-level providers in almost every healthcare setting. Utilizing nurse practitioners and physician assistants gives an advantage to patients in the United States as it opens up more opportunities to seek care. Both the United States and Iceland offer BSN, MSN and doctorate degree in nursing. There are not any associate degrees for registered nurses in Iceland, and there is a downhill trend of this degree program in the United States. (Dezee 2012). There is only one medical school in Iceland which is located at the University of Iceland in the city of Reykjavik, with only forty physicians graduating in 2006 (Neuman 2006). Iceland has a direct entry medical program which allows those interested in a degree in medicine to enter after the first year of college. Then there are five years of medical study which equals a total of six years of basic medical training (Neuman, 2006). Iceland believes that actual experience should shape the student rather than the school or a mentor molding them. Iceland prefers a hands on approach to education and believe that more is learned when you are tested in the field. This experience gives the students an opportunity to learn on their own and find what works best for them. It helps to build confidence and gives a unique knowledge into all aspects of practice. Following graduation after the sixth year students are then have twelve months of clinical rotations. They are required to participate in four months of internal medicine, two months of surgery, and the remaining months is a study of the students choice. Upon successful completion the student is then licensed to practice from the ministry of health. If they choose to further their education doctors may choose specialty fields which last another four or more years. Specialized training is very limited in Iceland and many physicians that choose a specialty travel abroad to study. The United States places a stronger emphasis on the academic approach to learning. Doctors are

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