NURS-4115 Role of Nurse in Public Health
Week 1 Discussion
THE ROLE OF THE NURSE IN GLOBAL HEALTH
In this week’s media presentation, Dr. Louise Fitzpatrick shared how health and disease are global issues. She pointed out that with the mobility of today’s population, health issues experienced in one area of the world are easily brought to other areas of the world through such means as travel and immigration. They can also be brought to a nation’s doorstep through the migration of animals, insects, and birds. Consider the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, avian flu, H1N1, or SARS. These diseases have quickly crossed oceans and spread to multiple countries. They are a public health concern in the United States as well as other countries.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Reflect on Dr. Fitzpatricks’s comments in this week’s media presentation; specifically, on the role of the BSN nurse in public and global health.
Select one health problem that you will use as a basis of comparison between countries.
Identify one developed and one developing country.
Compare and contrast the health problems and countries you selected with the United States in terms of World Health Organization (WHO) outcomes. In your analysis, be sure to include information about workforce availability to deal with the country’s disease burden.
Based on your examination of the research, how well is the United States performing in terms of public health as compared to the developed and developing countries you selected?
Think about what countries with worse outcomes could learn from countries with better outcomes.
Think about why nurses should be concerned with global health issues and what the role of the nurse should be in public health.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
BY DAY 3
Post your analysis of one health problem between one developed and one developing country in comparison with the United States in terms of the WHO outcomes and criteria listed above. State your opinion about how well the United States is doing in terms of public health. Share what you think countries with worse outcomes could learn from countries with better outcomes. Explain the nurse’s role in public and global health and why nurses should be concerned with global health issues. Conclude by summarizing your view of the role of the nurse in public health.
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.
Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include in-text citationsLinks to an external site.. Utilize essay-levelLinks to an external site. writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional materialLinks to an external site. and organizational framesLinks to an external site.. Avoid quotes; paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference listLinks to an external site. is required. Use the most current evidenceLinks to an external site. (usually ≤ 5 years old).
BY DAY 7
Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).
Respond to at least two colleagues. Your responses should be substantial and should contribute to the discussion.
Post a Discussion entry on 3 different days of the week.
NURS-4115 Role of Nurse in Public Health
Week 2 Discussion
NURSES WORKING TO IMPROVE THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF IMPOVERISHED CITIZENS THROUGH GOVERNMENT ACTIONS
The influence of poverty on health is a problem that transcends national borders. This week’s readings discussed some of the political, economic, and ethical issues that lead to health disparities in developed and developing countries. In addition, in this week’s first media presentation, Dr. Mancuso and Dr. Huijer shared insights on working within political systems to bring about positive changes in health care. Think about the importance of nurses in addressing these needs and in bringing about change.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review the case study “Improving the Health of the Poor in Mexico.” Then, prepare your response to the following questions:
In general, how do politics and economics influence health and health care?
What might the benefits be of awarding the mothers cash grants as described in the case study about the Progresa/Oportunidades program?
What social problems might be created by giving the mothers cash grants as described in the case study?
As described in the case study, do you think the resources were ethically distributed? (Think about stereotyping.)
What changes do you think should be made to the Progresa/Oportunidades program, if any?
If the Progresa/Oportunidades program were to be discontinued for any reason, what could you, as a nurse, say that might help to maintain funding?
Do you think a similar program, one like the Progresa/Oportunidades program, might work in your community? Why or why not?
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
BY DAY 3
Post your response to the following prompts:
Respond to the rubric question about how politics affects health and healthcare.
Review the case study "Improving the Health of the Poor in Mexico." Then, prepare your response to the following questions on the rubric:
What might the benefits be of awarding the mothers cash grants as described in the case study?
What ethical dilemmas or social problems might be created by giving the mothers cash grants as described in the case study?
As described in the case study, do you think the resources were ethically distributed? (Think about stereotyping.)
If the Progresa/Oportunidades program were to be discontinued for any reason, what could you, as a nurse, say that might help to maintain funding?
Do you think a similar program, one like the Progresa/Oportunidades program, might work in your community? Why or why not?
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.
Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include in-text citationsLinks to an external site.. Utilize essay-levelLinks to an external site. writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional materialLinks to an external site. and organizational framesLinks to an external site.. Avoid quotes; paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference listLinks to an external site. is required. Use the most current evidenceLinks to an external site. (usually ≤ 5 years old).
BY DAY 7
Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).
Respond to at least two colleagues. Your responses should be substantial and should contribute to the discussion.
Post a Discussion entry on 3 different days of the week.
NURS-4115 Role of Nurse in Public Health
Week 3 Discussion
Our “world” starts with our own community, county, and state, then moves out in concentric rings from that point to include our country and eventually the world. Disease is transmitted from person to person through direct contact, or from a source such as a vector or contaminated water through a variety of means, such as flood waters or even terrorist actions. Individuals with limited or no knowledge of safe sex methods may have unprotected sexual relations and knowingly or unknowingly transmit disease to their partners, then to their partners’ partners, and on and on. Often it is the role of the public health nurse to investigate a disease outbreak, contain it, and then educate others so that the same situation doesn’t happen again.
In this Discussion, you will visit a site and interview people who work there about risks for disease transmission, then report on your findings.
To prepare, select which site you will visit from the following options:
High school nurse’s office
Water treatment plant
Public health department
Pediatrician’s office
Create a brief description of your setting, providing some context; for example, how many patients are seen, size or capacity of the facility as applicable, and/or the location of the office or organization.
Take pictures of the building and surrounding area/neighborhood to provide context. You do not have to include the interior/s of the building/s or people/clients who may be there.
Then, during your site visit, pose the questions listed in the following chart:
High school nurse
What is the school’s policy on giving students advice about birth control?
How often do you get requests for information about birth control or how to protect oneself from an STD?
How do you track vaccination compliance, and what happens to students who fall out of compliance?
Local water treatment plant
Where does your community’s water come from?
Where is it stored?
How often is it tested for purity?
What safeguards are in place to prevent tampering with the water supply?
Local public health department
Does this department have an STD clinic?
In addition to testing, does the department offer treatment of one party or both parties?
What is the most frequently diagnosed STD?
A pediatrician’s office
What is your policy on accepting patients who refuse vaccinations?
What are the most common reasons parents decline vaccinations for their children in this particular office?
What is the policy at this office for giving antibiotics to treat viral syndromes?
Now, look at the site you visited through the eyes of the public health nurse (PHN). Imagine you are the PHN and have been asked to investigate an outbreak at this facility.
What questions would you ask?
What suggestions could you make to avoid a disease outbreak at the facility?
What would your role as a change agent be for any deficiencies you find in your on-site inspection?
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
BY DAY 3
Post your brief description and pictures of the site you visited. Share the answers you were given to the questions you posed. Then, respond to the above prompts through the eyes of a PHN asked to investigate an outbreak at this facility.
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.
Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include in-text citationsLinks to an external site.. Utilize essay-levelLinks to an external site. writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional materialLinks to an external site. and organizational framesLinks to an external site.. Avoid quotes; paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference listLinks to an external site. is required. Use the most current evidenceLinks to an external site. (usually ≤ 5 years old).
BY DAY 7
Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).
Respond to at least two colleagues. Your responses should be substantial and should contribute to the discussion.
Post a Discussion entry on 3 different days of the week.
NURS-4115 Role of Nurse in Public Health
Week 4 Discussion
NURSES WORKING TO PREVENT DISEASE AT HOME
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016), a vaccination has not been found to prevent the Zika virus, a disease that has been transmitted to humans through mosquito bites from mosquitoes that are most active during the day. Zika has been found in many countries around the globe, and its range is expanding. The symptoms of Zika are generally mild, last about a week, and include fever, rash, joint pain, and/or conjunctivitis. Symptoms are generally so mild that many victims will not know they have been infected, but about 20% of those individuals who are bitten will develop Zika. The most concerning symptom of Zika affects pregnant women, whose babies may develop microcephaly.
In general, the CDC (2016) has recommended that people wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outside and apply insect repellant beforehand to avoid getting bitten. People who possibly have been infected with the Zika virus are urged to use a condom during sexual contact to avoid spreading the virus to others. In fact, some countries, such as El Salvador, have recommended that women avoid pregnancy for the next two years (The New York Times, 1/25/16). The CDC has also recommended that any vessels or containers of open water be protected from access to mosquitoes so that breeding cycles are disrupted. Brazil has begun a massive campaign to stop mosquitoes from accessing breeding grounds by closing their access to water collection systems and other sources of standing or still water. Could something like the Zika virus begin in your neighborhood?
In this Discussion, you will examine your neighborhood through the eyes of the public health nurse or a nurse epidemiologist.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Walk around a two-block radius near where you live or work.
Look to see if you can spot any areas where mosquitoes may reproduce. These sites may include abandoned tires, rainwater collection systems that have been installed at homes, parks or golf courses, low sections at roadsides or near sidewalks, and the like. You may include pictures of sites that you find to enhance your discussion thread.
Note any positive or negative findings that you observe. Have steps been taken to prevent mosquito breeding?
Find out what your community health department does for mosquito abatement.
Discover who in your community you would contact to report deficiencies/negative findings.
Determine what you can do, as a PHN, to change policy to reduce mosquito breeding grounds in your neighborhood.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
BY DAY 3
Post your findings regarding mosquito breeding grounds in a two-block radius near where you live or work. Include any preventative strategies you can see that are already in place. Report on the role your local health department plays in mosquito abatement and to whom you would report negative findings. Then, describe your role as a public health nurse in changing policy to ensure a healthier climate (reduced mosquito breeding grounds) in your neighborhood.
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.
Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include in-text citationsLinks to an external site.. Utilize essay-levelLinks to an external site. writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional materialLinks to an external site. and organizational framesLinks to an external site.. Avoid quotes; paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference listLinks to an external site. is required. Use the most current evidenceLinks to an external site. (usually ≤ 5 years old).
BY DAY 7
Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).
Respond to at least two colleagues. Your responses should be substantial and should contribute to the discussion.
Post a Discussion entry on 3 different days of the week.
NURS-4115 Role of Nurse in Public Health
Week 5 Discussion
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IN NURSING
Many factors influence maternal health. In many countries, an unacceptable number of women die in childbirth or shortly after giving birth. As discussed by Dr. Leslie Mancuso in this week’s first media presentation, culture and religious beliefs influence childbirth practices.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review Case 6, “Saving Mothers’ Lives in Sri Lanka.”
Review Dr. Mancuso’s comments on cultural beliefs that influence maternal health.
In addition, consider the following questions:
What cultural and historical features of Sri Lanka contributed to the success of the country’s maternal health program?
What are some assumptions that a person might make about you based on your appearance or cultural background? All cultural diversity is not about ethnicity, religious affiliation, or traditional backgrounds. When you consider what cultural issues affect you and/or your community, think about whether you represent diversity of another kind, such as; rural versus urban, east coast versus west coast, employed in a small hospital versus a large research center, or providing nursing practice to young versus elderly, acute care versus clinic care or mental health care. Each of these "types" of diversity contribute to you as a person and how you practice nursing.
How might that affect the nursing care you receive?
What cultural information would you want a nurse or doctor to know about you?
What would you want a health promotion program to include that addresses a health concern for your cultural or ethnic community?
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
BY DAY 3
Post your response to the following prompts:
After considering the different aspects of cultural beliefs and practices, explain how culture influences health beliefs and how might most health programs address these beliefs? Describe how you would apply this to care you receive and care you provide to others.
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.
Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include in-text citationsLinks to an external site.. Utilize essay-levelLinks to an external site. writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional materialLinks to an external site. and organizational framesLinks to an external site.. Avoid quotes; paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference listLinks to an external site. is required. Use the most current evidenceLinks to an external site. (usually ≤ 5 years old).
BY DAY 7
Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).
Respond to at least two colleagues. Your responses should be substantial and should contribute to the discussion.
Post a Discussion entry on 3 different days of the week.
NURS-4115 Role of Nurse in Public Health
Week 6 Discussion
OBESITY: A GLOBAL HEALTH CONCERN
Obesity is a continuing challenge for citizens and health care providers in the United States, as you likely know. Obesity can lead to numerous chronic health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Childhood diabetes is also increasing at a disconcerting rate, which will lead to an increased health care burden within a few short years. Current estimates set the cost of obesity on the U.S. health care system at $147–$210 billion per year (The State of Obesity, 2016). Think about this week’s media as you take a moment to consider obesity as a burgeoning global challenge.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Compare rates of obesity in the United States to other developed and also developing countries. Think about how health issues resulting from obesity compare as well.
Reflect on health promotion and prevention strategies that nurses can implement.
Contemplate the ethical, cultural, economic, political, and environmental issues a nurse should consider when developing a primary obesity health prevention strategy.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
BY DAY 3
Post an obesity health promotion and prevention strategy a nurse could implement for a specific cultural group in the United States. Then, modify your message for use in one other country, being sensitive to the cultural nuances of the country you select. Describe why you chose to take the approach you did in your strategies and explain any challenges you anticipate a nurse may encounter when trying to implement these strategies.
Support your response with references from the professional nursing literature.
Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words) response. Be sure to use evidenceLinks to an external site. from the readings and include in-text citationsLinks to an external site.. Utilize essay-levelLinks to an external site. writing practice and skills, including the use of transitional materialLinks to an external site. and organizational framesLinks to an external site.. Avoid quotes; paraphraseLinks to an external site. to incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference listLinks to an external site. is required. Use the most current evidenceLinks to an external site. (usually ≤ 5 years old).
BY DAY 7
Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question (support with evidence if indicated).
Respond to at least two colleagues. Your responses should be substantial and should contribute to the discussion.
Post a Discussion entry on 3 different days of the week.
