Resettlement needs of refugee women in the United States: An American Academy of Nursing consensus paper.

Abstract

When people must flee their homes due to persecution or conflict, they embark on a journey from loss toward safety that is a global concern and the resettlement country's responsibility. Refugees experience stressors as they secure basic needs such as adequate nutrition, healthcare, transportation, housing, education, and income-generating activities. For refugee women, these stressors are further exacerbated by gender-related roles and experiences. Addressing the unique healthcare needs of refugee women is vital to their well-being as they resettle into life in the United States. Access to care that is provided with cultural humility and fosters trust is critical. Policies are needed that expand health literacy programs and interpreting services, grow, diversify, and train the physical healthcare workforce, grow and diversify the mental healthcare workforce, expand Medicaid coverage in all 50 states, develop and fund peer-to-peer education programs for refugee women, finance access to care and programmatic services, and expand federal funding toward refugee health research.