Week 1 Discussion: Determinants of Health

Instructions: this is a 2-part assignment:

Part one: discussion board post which has instructions listed below.

Part two: reply to 2 discussions. Those need 1 scholarly reference each.

 

Required reading:

Access to book:

https://www.vitalsource.com/  OR. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/

book name:  Community/public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations

Username: ***

Password: ****

Citation:

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2019). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.

 

Required reading:

  • Chapter 1: Health: A Community View, pp. 1–16
  • Chapter 2: Historical Factors: Community Health Nursing in Context, pp. 28–34
  • Chapter 3: Thinking Upstream: Nursing Theories and Population-Focused Nursing Practice, pp. 36–41
  • Chapter 4: Health Promotion and Risk Reduction, pp. 50-67

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2018). Healthy People 2020: About determinants of health. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health

 

Weekly lesson attached separately. Cite this as “weekly lesson” and I will fix it when I turn it in.

 

Initial Post Instructions

What are some factors that make some people healthy and others ill? Healthy People 2020 identifies five determinants of health that influence the health of individuals and populations. Healthy People 2020describes them as “a range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health status” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018, About Determinants of Health, para. 1). Determinants fall into five categories, including (a) policy making, (b) social factors, (c) health services, (d) individual behavior, and (e) biology and genetics.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2018). Healthy People 2020: About Determinants of Health. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health

 

 

Part two: discussion post replies, will require 1 scholarly source each, please reply to both, if the initial post takes away from the two pages I pay for, shorten it.

 

Follow-Up Posts
Compare your analysis with your peers. Examine how yours are similar and/or different. Build on their posts by providing additional information about the acts that you have not already noted in your own post.

Respond to two peers or one peer and the instructor. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. PLEASE REPLY TO BOTH!

 

Follow up #1: Bonnie V

The determinant of health I have chosen to discuss is biology and genetics. I chose this determinant because it is really the only thing that we cannot control at any point in our lives. Examples of biological and genetic social determinants of health include age, sex, family history and inherited conditions. This determinant is important because unless someone is educated or informed of their genetics / biologics they are unaware of what is working against their optimal health. It goes without saying that as we age we are prone to being in poorer health due to physical and cognitive effects of aging and this would take significant education and dedication from a patient to counteract, though we can’t reverse age we can do our best to maintain health throughout life. In terms of a genetic issue such as a congenital heart condition or a family history of heart disease, this may require surgical intervention but again education in terms of diet and exercise and maintaining a heart healthy life. I recently had a patient this weekend who was only 46 years old and had such a significant past medical history it was overwhelming. Her history included, CHF, 12 cardiac stents, diabetes, congenital heart issues, spinal stenosis etc. and when you looked at her she was ambulatory self care and had minimal defecits. During my assessment I asked her how we got to this point and she said “my parents and their parents shitty genes”. Though im not sure if thats the only cause as she was obese and admitted she doesnt strictly follow diet an exercise, it just proved that she was already predisposed to this type of health outcome and had she been educated sooner maybe she would be a healthier 46 year old.

A community health nurse could combat this determinant of health with many interventions from the Public Health Intervention Wheel. According to Volume 5 of the Public Health Nursing journal, The Intervention Wheel is a population-based model that uses levels of practice including community, systems and individual/family amounting to 17 public health interventions. The goal of this system is that each intervention and practice level contributes to improving the overall health in a population. (Public Health Nursing, 2004) When looking at the wheel, I found that the top right section identified most closely with the determinant of biology and genetics. This section includes, Surveillance, Disease and Health Event Investigation, Outreach, and Screening. Using case finding and system focused interventions I believe CH nurse could really help patients in the community keep a close eye on developing genetic and biologic health concerns. According to Population-Based Public Health Interventions: Practice-Based and Evidence-Supported. Part I, the definition of this section of the wheel is to “identify individuals with unrecognized health risk factors or asymptomatic disease conditions in populations, locates individuals and families with identified risk factors and connects them with resources.”(Keller et all, 2004) In nursing school I was taught that more than half of our job is spent on education, during my preceptorship my preceptor told me one of the most important things I could do was take the time to educate my patients. I firmly believe that when people are hospitalized or even out in the community we are responsible for attempting to make an impact and help people learn about their health and set wellness goals.

Follow up #2: Samantha M

One of the five determinants of health that I chose to focus on is health services. I feel that the cost of healthcare services and health insurance in today’s world is one of the main reasons why people are unhealthy. The cost of healthcare services and health insurance limits access or does not allow access at all to people that cannot afford healthcare services. Many people do not participate in preventative care because they do not have health insurance. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2018), an example of how health services affects the health of people is explained when individuals do not have health insurance, they are less likely to participate in preventive care and are more likely to delay medical treatment. Another commonly seen barrier to health services is language barriers. Language barriers prevent people from seeking medical help. Not only do these barriers stop people from participating in preventative care, but they also delay treatment, and lead to preventable hospitalizations. It is so important for health services to be accessible and affordable to the population in order for people to live long, healthy lives.

Community health nurses play an intricate role in helping the population gain access to healthcare services. “Population-based nursing looks toward health promotion and disease prevention for groups or populations of people with the goal of promoting healthy communities” (Nies & McEwen, 2019). One of the 17 intervention categories from the Public Health Intervention Wheel that I chose to address this determinant is screening. If the public had access to routine, affordable health screenings that would be a way for the population to have access to preventative care. Preventative care is the best way to ensure that the population sustains a healthier status.

 


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