The Role of the Nurse in Promoting and Preserving Health

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It is common knowledge that a healthy lifestyle will lead to a longer life. Healthy individuals have strong immunity and are at limited risk for contracting some of the prominent diseases facing individuals in the United States, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, orthopedic disorders, and cancer. The problems faced by Americans are not the same as those faced by individuals in other parts of the world. In fact, many people in the world struggle with problems on the opposite end of the spectrum, such as malnutrition, and iron, iodine, and folic acid deficiencies, which have a negative impact on reproductive, infant, and child health. The risk factors that increase in individuals who are not living healthy lives can challenge a nurse’s ability to build a healthier community and a healthier world.
In this, your final week of the course, you will identify health promotion strategies for addressing obesity and the chronic health issues that may result from obesity. You will explore how these issues affect health costs.

Learning Objectives

Students will:
  • Create health promotion and prevention strategies for addressing obesity
  • Analyze strategies nurses might implement to modify messages for obesity prevention that integrate cultural sensitivity
  • Analyze challenges nurses might face when modifying messages for obesity prevention and health promotion

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Holtz, C. (2013). Global health care: Issues and policies (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

  • Chapter 10, “Global Perspectives on Selected Chronic Cardiovascular Diseases” (pp. 239–262)
  • Chapter 11, “Global Perspectives on Diabetes and Respiratory and Orthopedic Chronic Diseases” (pp. 263–282)
  • Review Chapter 14, “Global Perspectives on Nutrition” (pp. 364–366)

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.).St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

  • Chapter 20, “Promoting Health Through Healthy Communities and Cities” (pp. 441–454)

Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community, 9th Ed. by Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. Copyright 2015 by Elsevier Health Science Books. Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Health Science Books via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Laws, R., Campbell, K. J., van der Pligt, P., Ball, K., Lynch, J., Russell, G., … Denny-Wilson, E. (2015). Obesity prevention in early life: An opportunity to better support the role of maternal and child health nurses in Australia. BioMedCentral Nursing, 14(26), 1–14.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Required Media

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2010e). Public and global health: The role of the nurse in promoting and preserving health [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
 
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.

What factors contribute to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans?

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The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Together
with its supporters ACS is committed to helping people stay well and get well by finding cures and by fighting back.
Critical Thinking Questions:
1. Imagine that a family friend or colleague has just been diagnosed with cancer. Explain how the American Cancer Society might provide education and support.
What ACS services would you recommend and why?
2. According to statistics published by the American Cancer Society there will be an estimated 1.5 million new cancer cases diagnosed each year over the next
decade. What factors contribute to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans? What changes in policy and practice are most likely to
affect these figures over time
3. Select a research program from among those funded by the American Cancer Society. Describe the program and discuss what impact the research will have on the
prevention or treatment of cancer.

What do you consider health to be?

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Write a formal APA paper addressing the points listed below. Appropriate Level 1 headings should be used throughout the paper to ensure all topics are addressed. Sample headings may include Patient Environment Health Nursing and Conclusion. The paper should be a maximum of three pages excluding the title page and reference page.
1. Provide an introduction.
2. Describe your personal philosophy of nursing using each of the four the metaparadigms in nursing:a. Patient: Describe what you believe about patients as human beings. This is not the place to describe what the nurse does to and/or for patients. Write an objective description.
b. Environment: Describe what you believe is important in the environment of your patient. Write an objective description of the complex environment of patients and nurses.
c. Health: What do you consider health to be? Discuss several views of health. Identify which concept of health is closest to your own viewpoint.
d. Nursing: Describe what you believe about the profession of nursing.
3. You may include information gained from the interview that either supports your philosophy or shows areas where nurses may disagree on the philosophy of nursing. Remember to keep your interviewee anonymous.
4. Provide a conclusion by summarizing your discussion of your personal philosophy.

Assessment of the Neurological System

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Randy Adams is a 38-year-old male patient of Dr. Joseph Reynolds who was admitted yesterday morning for 24-hour observation for mild concussion following a motor vehicle accident. Randy lost consciousness during the accident and was very confused when he arrived in the ER after EMS transport. He is an Iraq war veteran and he seemed to think after the accident that this all happened in Iraq. Dr. Reynolds is concerned that Randy has some residual problems from a couple of explosive incidents that occurred while he was in Iraq. The physician is unsure whether Randy’s current symptoms are from the car accident or from prior injuries so he has referred him for consultations to both a neurologist and to a behavioral health specialist.
Based on the above please discuss the following.
  1. Pathophysiology of concussive injuries and treatment
  2. Neurological assessment tools used in your current practice setting (if not presently working, please describe one used during prior employment or schooling)
  3. Current best practices associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  4. Nursing interventions you would include in this patient’s plan of care.