DeVry nr443

Week 1 discussion

Determinants of Health

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 2020 describes them as “a range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health status” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014, 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.

Go to the “Determinants of Health” link at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and click on each determinant to read about them.

Choose one of the five determinants. In your post, describe this determinant and its importance.

Discuss how this determinant relates to one intervention from the Public Health Intervention Wheel (Nies & McEwen, 2015, pp. 14–15).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). Healthy People 2020: About Determinants of Health. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Week 2 discussion

Demographic and Epidemiological Assessment

For this discussion, you will collect assessment data about your city or county. This post will include information about demographics (general characteristics) and epidemiological data (disease or health behavior rates) of your community.

Demographic data: Go online to the U.S. Census Bureau at https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Obtain a range information about the demographic characteristics of the population for your city or county of residence. You may have to look at county data if your city is not listed. Discuss demographic data about age, ethnicity, poverty levels, housing, and education.

Epidemiological data: Go to your city or county health department website (search the Internet) or County Health Rankings (http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.) and report epidemiological data about your area.

Identify several priority health concerns for your area.

The Instructions on Finding Demographic Data on the U.S. Census Website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. will assist you in using this website as a resource.

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.

Week 3 discussion

Caring for Vulnerable Populations

Review the Week 3 Case Study (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. This case study focuses on a vulnerable young woman who is facing many risk factors.

Discuss several risk factors that may impact health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Assurance is one of the three core functions of public health. Find a resource in your community (other than WIC) that could assist Mary during her pregnancy. Start by searching the Internet for your local health department’s website. What services does it provide for pregnant women, those living in poverty, or those with mental health concerns? What about your local welfare office? Does it provide prenatal or mental health services? Are there any service organizations, crisis pregnancy centers, or churches providing help for pregnant women or those experiencing mental health concerns? (The Internet, your local newspaper, and the telephone book may also help you locate resources.)

Briefly describe the types of services that you found.

Choose one agency and assess this agency in terms of the 4 A’s. Is it accessible, acceptable, affordable, or available for Mary or other pregnant women that you case manage?

Are there adequate resources for other vulnerable populations in your community?

Week 4 discussion

Healthy People Objectives for Community Settings

Community health nurses practice in a variety of settings. Choose one of the following CH settings and describe what you have learned about the setting and the role(s) of the nurse in that setting (see Nies & McEwen, 2015, Chapters 29–33).

School nursing

Occupational health nursing

Faith-based or parish nursing

Home health nursing

Hospice nursing

Forensic nursing

Correctional nursing

The federal government developed Healthy People as a set of national health objectives that are revised every 10 years. These objectives are very specific in order to guide and measure our nation’s progress related to public health. Please visit http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Click on a topic area that relates to a role you chose to discuss. Click on the green Objectives tab in that topic area to choose one Healthy People 2020 objective.

Discuss one specific, numbered Healthy People 2020 objective (not a goal) related to this community health role.

How could a community health nurse help meet this objective?

Introduction to Healthy People 2020 website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. is an aid to help you navigate the HP 2020 website.

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). Healthy People 2020: Topics & Objectives. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Week 5 discussion

Disaster and Communicable Disease Preparedness

Preparing for disasters, terrorist threats, or communicable disease outbreaks is an important part of public health nursing. Visit the websites http://www.ready.gov (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and http://www.ready.gov/pandemic (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Review the steps for being prepared for a disaster or pandemic.

Choose a natural or man-made disaster that could impact your community and discuss how a CHN can help the community to prepare or respond to this disaster.

Choose a potential infectious disease outbreak and discuss how a CHN can help to prevent or respond to an outbreak.

How well is your community prepared for a potential outbreak or disaster?

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2016). Ready: Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed. Retrieved from http://www.ready.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2016). Pandemic. Retrieved from http://www.ready.gov/pandemic (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Week 6 discussion

Environmental Health

Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s MyEnvironment site at http://www.epa.gov/myenvironment (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and enter your city and state, ZIP code, or location into the location box. Explore the site to learn more about your environment and things that might be impacting the health of its citizens.

Identify something new you learned about your environment and how it could be affecting health by completing this statement: “I didn’t know _____.”

How could you, in the role of a community health nurse, address these concerns?

Optional: For more environmental health information, you can also visit the following websites.

Environmental health tracking: http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/InfoByLocation/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Air quality: http://www.airnow.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Toxic release inventory: http://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Week 7 discussion

The Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act is a controversial topic, and there probably are many different viewpoints represented in our class. For this discussion, let’s start by focus on understanding the basics of the Healthcare Marketplace so that we can provide accurate information to our patients and communities. Please explore the healthcare marketplace website at https://www.healthcare.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Choose the Get Answers tab toward the top of the page.

Review several of the topics in this tab and share two things that you learned about how the marketplace works.

How does this information apply to those in your community?

As a healthcare provider, has this raised any ethical questions or concerns for you?

Week 8 discussion

Future Directions

Reflect on what you have learned in this course.

What future concerns are likely to impact public health?

How do you see global health concerns impacting your community?

How can you apply what you have learned in this course to your current practice?