It should be noted that both the UK and US healthcare systems have flaws and aspects that require immediate attention from the side of different stakeholder groups. Nevertheless, several differences may be observed in terms of financial expenditures (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2017). In particular, the first difference may be concluded to an idea that the UK system is built on the free-at-the-point-of-use principle. That is, all individuals have equal access to services regardless of their income level (Childers, 2016). In the US, despite the claims of greater accessibility for all citizens, the system is focused on providing services for population groups such as senior adults, individuals with low incomes, disabled citizens, and so on. The second difference lies in the fact that, in the UK, costly medical procedures are subject to rationing while, in the US, people would need to refer to charity care that is subsidized publicly.
Importantly, there are quite a few opportunities for interventions as applied to advanced practice nurses, which can help improve the US healthcare system in the long term. Nurses hold a unique position within the healthcare system since they are present across all settings, and they understand what policies are needed to improve resource allocation. In addition, a collaboration between nursing leaders can potentially provide insights into how the structure may be reorganized to become stronger since they comprehend what practice issues should be discussed (Sawyer & McDermott, 2019). Another opportunity related to advocacy is the possibility for nurses to bridge the existing discrepancy between the strategic direction and the clinical practice observed in various healthcare settings. Thus, it can be concluded that advanced practice nurses are well-informed to perform as agents of change.
References
Childers, C. (2016). US and UK healthcare system comparison [Video file]. Web.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2017). Summary of the American Health Care Act. Web.
Sawyer, B., & McDermott, D. (2019). How does the quality of the U.S. healthcare system compare to other countries? Web.