Nursing Initiatives in Global Health Promotion and Education - Assignment Example

Introduction Health issues in China seem to be relatively more numerous and more grave than in other more developed nations. These issues often impact the vulnerable groups in the population, including the very young, the very old, and the financially compromised. These groups often manifest with compromised immune systems and the inability to access affordable and quality health care. In general, financial difficulties in China make it difficult for the government to provide and for private citizens to access quality health services. Moreover, one of the basic aspects of health promotion is grounded on health education. Health education is a function of various health professionals, but more so for nurses who often spend the most time with patients and their families; and who are often deployed in the community setting. It is therefore important to conceptualize a program which can maximize the role of nurses in health education and community activism. Hence, this program is being conceptualized as a means of improving the health outcomes in China. Goal/Objective/Activity Goal: To conceptualize a health education plan which will be taught by the hospital nurses to their patient during the latter’s stay in the hospital and by community-based nurses in the community setting Objectives 1. To teach proper hand-washing techniques to the patients and their families before discharge. Activities a. Demonstrating proper hand-washing techniques to the patient and their families. b. Explaining to the family the importance of applying proper hand-washing techniques and how they can prevent the spread and the acquisition of diseases through hand-washing c. Asking the patient and the family to demonstrate proper hand-washing techniques prior to discharge. 2. To teach the patients and the members of the community the importance of participating in the immunization programs of the government. Activities a. Teaching the patients and the members of the community (especially those with children of immunizable age) the importance of participating in the government’s EPI (expanded program of immunization). b. Teaching the patients and the members of the community the schedules of immunization, the types of immunization available, and the benefits of having their children immunized 3. To teach the patients and the community the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, along with appropriate techniques in achieving optimum health outcomes. Activities a. Teaching the patients and the community the different benefits of adapting a healthy diet and exercise in one’s life. This includes teaching the patients the different essential foods which can provide optimum health and resistance to diseases. b. Teaching the patient and the community the importance of exercise and the different activities in which they can participate to reduce excess weight and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. c. Teaching the patient and the community the importance of avoiding excess intake of alcohol and/or drugs; the benefits of quitting smoking; and the different ways they can avoid the transmission and the acquisition of sexually-transmitted diseases. 4. To teach the patients and the members of the community the importance of early prevention and treatment in reducing morbidity and mortality rates. Activities a. Teaching the patients the importance of having regular check-ups and diagnostic procedures in order to ensure the early detection of diseases like cancer or AIDS. b. Teaching female patients how to properly conduct breast self examination and male patients how to conduct prostate self-examinations. This also involves teaching patients the different early signs and symptoms which can indicate the presence of diseases. Rationale/Significance Nurses are at the very forefront of health care delivery (Chambliss, 1996). Among all the members of the medical team, nurses spend the most time with patients. They are present at almost every stage of the treatment process – from admission, to assessment, to treatment, and on to discharge (Huber, 2006). Their task covers almost every aspect of the patient’s care; hence, imparting knowledge and health education to patients can be done by the nurse at different points in the patient’s care (Huber, 2006). For most parts of the patient’s care there is always a nurse present; it is therefore appropriate for the nurse to impart health teachings at different stages in the patient’s care in order to ensure successful patient outcomes. Monitoring the patient’s condition can also reveal patients’ attitudes and behavior; and these can later be used by the nurse to educate the patient on correcting wrong and harmful health habits. With these considerations, the nurse can take great and effective initiatives in order to promote, improve, and educate patients towards effective health outcomes. In the study by Morse, et.al., (1994), the authors pointed out that nursing assessment skills help them sense patient needs and conditions and they carried out their study in order to evaluate the common skills and concepts which nurses have often used to help them evaluate patients. In the process of research, the authors were able to establish that the concepts of intuition, empathy, and inference when used collectively help determine patient attitudes and beliefs. By using these skills, the nurses can evaluate patients and determine gaps in their health knowledge and education. This study emphasizes the role of the nurse in patient education, and how the nurse’s initiative in patient education can help ensure efficient transmission of information to the patient. In a paper by Whitehead, (2001) the author reviewed the complex processes which affect the modification of patient’s health behavior; his paper sought to conceptualize the differences between health education and promotional activities. The study revealed that nurses believe that they are health promoters; and if they are to gain any progress as nurses, their role must also include the delivery of health education initiatives (Whitehead, 2001). In effect, this study pointed out that nurses’ initiatives towards health education are important goals in improving patient outcomes and patient’s attitudes. An OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) report also revealed that in the case of developing countries, especially China, there is a need to improve health education and to increase fund allocations for the health education of rural areas (OECD, 2006). The OECD pointed out that funding in terms of health education has been unevenly distributed in the regions, with rural areas receiving less allocation. This report points out deficiencies in China’s health care education and the need for a program which can ensure the transmission of relevant information to those who need it most. Other researchers were also keen in pointing out that there is a major knowledge deficiency in terms of health education in developing countries. In fact, they mention that health education seems to have a direct relationship with a country’s GDP and economic status; in effect, the lower the country’s GDP and economic status, the lower the volume and quality of health education transmitted to the people (Chadhury, et.al., 2006). It is therefore important for the government and concerned authorities to balance the distribution of knowledge, regardless of their economic status. Theoretical Foundation In support of this program, the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior can be applied. This theory of reasoned action explains that behavioral intention “precedes behavior and is determined by an individual’s attitude toward the behavior and subjective norms” (Sharma and Atri, 2010, p. 86). In effect, this theory pointed out that one’s attitudes about a certain behavior is often affected or determined by one’s like or dislike for a particular behavior. In the theory of planned behavior, the behavioral control is based on control beliefs which may inhibit or facilitate behavior (Sharma and Atri, 2010). In applying this theory to this program, an understanding of a person’s intention through the nurse’s assessment of her patients will first be carried and through such assessment, the plan of care would then be conceptualized (Fitzpatrick and Wallace, 2005). The plan of care or in this instance, the health education and promotion, would be based on the patient’s beliefs and attitudes. For patients who believe that bacteria cannot be transmitted through their hands, the process of hand-washing needs to be introduced and taught to them. This would help change their attitudes and precepts; eventually, changing their behavior and habits (Dossey, et.al., 2008). In spending time and caring for the patient, the nurse can observe the patient’s beliefs and attitudes and conceptualize a health education plan which would fit the patient’s health needs and deficiencies (Videbeck, 2010). Educational Plan Phase I: Mothers with immunizable children in the rural areas of china (community-setting). Social assessment: There are 1,337,411 immunizable children in China (UNICEF, 2008). In the rural areas, about 26 million of these children and their families live in abject poverty with about 20 million of them living under government allowance (Princeton University, n.d). Phase II: Mothers in the rural areas do not have access to health education, especially in relation to the needed immunization of their children below 5 years of age. Most of them are poor and cannot access proper health facilities where their knowledge on the health of their children can be enhanced (UNICEF, n.d). Phase III: Mothers know that their children need to be immunized, but most of them believe that they have to spend money for such immunizations. Some of them also do not believe in the benefits of having their children immunized. They have not undergone through immunizations when they were younger and they do not believe that their children also need to be immunized. These mothers however are still willing to try to improve the health of their children and are receptive to the idea of learning more about the immunization programs. Phase IV: Permission to use facilities at local rural schools will be obtained; participants to the exercise can be recruited through the local papers, through flyers, and through house-to-house invitations done by local rural officials Phase V: A nurse health educator, with the assistance of 5 other educators, will facilitate and conduct the lectures which shall be spread out over 4 weekend sessions with 30 participants for each session Phase VI: Tally sheets assessing the extent and the degree of knowledge gained by the mothers shall be evaluated Phase VII: An impact evaluation shall be carried out evaluating the knowledge and attitude of the mothers before and after the health education process Works Cited Chadhury, N., Hammer, J., Kremer, M., & Muralidharan, K. (2006). Missing in Action: Teacher and Health. Journal of Economic Perspectives, volume 20, number 1, pp. 91–116. Chambliss, D. (1996). Beyond caring: hospitals, nurses, and the social organization of ethics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press China should boost public spending on health and education, says OECD study. (2006) Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. Retrieved 07 February 2011 from http://www.oecd.org/document/13/0,2340,en_2649_201185_36131917_1_1_1_1,00.html Dossey, B., Keegan, L., and American Holistic Nurses’ Association. (2008) Holistic nursing: a handbook for practice. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett. Fitzpatrick, J. & Wallace, M. (2006). Encyclopedia of nursing research. Pennsylvania: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Huber, D. (2006) Leadership and nursing care management. Pennsylvania: Elsevier Health Sciences Issue: China (n.d) UNICEF. Retrieved 09 February 2011 from http://www.unicef.org/china/health.html Morse, J., Miles, M., Clark, D., Doberneck, B. (1994). "Sensing" Patient Needs: Exploring Concepts of Nursing Insight and Receptivity Used in Nursing Assessment. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, volume 8, number 3, pp. 233-254(22) Rural Poverty in China (n.d). Princeton University. Retrieved 07 February 2011 from www.princeton.edu/~gchow/rural%20poverty%20in%20china.doc Sharma, M. and Atri, A. (2010). Essentials of international health. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Statistics: China. (2008) UNICEF. Retrieved 07 February 2011 from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/china_statistics.html Videbeck, S. (2010). Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. Pennsylvania: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Whitehead, D. (2001). Health education, behavioural change and social psychology: nursing's contribution to health promotion? Journal of Advanced Nursing, volume 34, number 6, pp. 822-832 Read More