Tackling HIV-AIDS for High School Students in Australia - Promoting Health Literacy Using Principles of Community Nursing - Coursework Example

Promoting Health Literacy Using Principles of Community Nursing Student’s Name: ID Number: Date: Tackling HIV/AIDS for High School Students in Australia – Promoting Health Literacy Using Principles of Community Nursing Introduction HIV/AIDS is among the conditions that attracts attention of health and social workers across the world. Prevalence of this health condition is high among high school and college students. It is therefore important to promote health literacy among students using principles of community nursing (Straus, Tetroe, & Graham, 2013). Main aim of using this approach is to impact knowledge on how to manage HIV/AIDS in the community with minimal supervision from health and social workers. This assessment seeks to create understanding of how health workers can apply principles of community nursing to promote health literacy among students in reference to HIV/AIDS condition. It also addresses the need for promoting health literacy among members of specific group in the community. Due to constant interaction among high school students, they are more likely to develop strong social ties. Note that this group has common aspects in terms of social status, age, physical needs as well as psychological influence. There is also an aspect of peer influence where students inspire each other towards certain behaviour (Riekert, Ockene, & Pbert, 2013). In this particular case, they influence each other towards sexual behaviour. They are more likely to engage in unhealthy sexual activities such as unprotected sex and having many sex partners hence increasing HIV prevalence. It may be due to biological pressure that is usually common at this particular age. Such factors lead to spread of sexually transmitted ailments such as HIV among others. To tackle this alarming health challenge, the government and other relevant agencies apply community nursing to promote health literacy among this specific population. Principles of Community Nursing To promote HIV/AIDS literacy, community nurse should first recognise the need for health education in this population group. The nurse may identify these needs by conducting comprehensive survey to determine extent of knowledge students have concerning HIV prevalence (Glanz, & Bishop, 2010). Use of questionnaire may be appropriate which gives you actual information concerning student’s understanding of the disease. Without recognising the health needs, it might be hard to address health situation (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2013). Understanding of health needs within the population enables the health worker to relate health measures within the context of community health nursing. Identification of unit of service is also another essential principle of community health nursing. The school in this case is the unit of service whereby the community nurse provides necessary assistance to help it deal with its own problems. A health worker uses the school as a channel to advance HIV advocacy. Since the school is the common facility which binds all students together, it is an ideal channel for this particular purpose. Promoting health literacy through schools becomes easier hence helping the agency to achieve its objective. When dealing with the community, it is important that you first identify its values and customs. Understanding of values and respecting them creates a viable link with members of this community (Francis, Chapman, Hoare, & Birks, 2013). In the case of high school students, one should appreciate their values before rolling out the plan. One can only get the full attention of students if he or she can appreciate their lifestyle, customs and value system. Failure to this may lead to poor cooperation and achieving goals of community health becomes an uphill task (Glanz, & Bishop, 2010). In addition, the service should be accessible irrespective of social status of this group. Such approach ensures that social status of the community does not count in delivering health care services including promotion of health literacy. Promoting health literacy to high school students can be both interesting and demanding task for community health nurse. At this age, students have special needs that call for proper approach when dealing with issues of health literacy especially HIV/AIDS. Besides educating them on this issue, there is a need for conducting group counselling sessions (Minkler, & Wallerstein, 2010). Counselling may take the form of open discussion on the issue of HIV while the nurse only provides direction. Students speak out their thoughts on how to prevent and control HIV prevalence in their population. It also supports students’ deliberations on how to deal with their health challenges. As a nurse, it is necessary to encourage students to develop internal mechanisms to curb the problem and to sustain healthy interaction within the institution (Linsley, Kane, & Owen, 2011). Basically, educating the students may not have the impact hence need for integrating it with proper and objective counselling sessions. Continuous assessment and evaluation of health literacy program is also essential principle when tackling HIV/AIDS among high school students. Community health nursing is a continuous program where the nurse makes follow-up on client groups. The follow-up entails supervision and reporting progress of the program. The nurse may also encourage students to assess themselves in terms of performance evaluation. It involves leadership techniques since the nurse only gives direction but decision lies on the people. Students set their goals concerning health and evaluate the performance on regular and consistent basis (Maurer, & Smith, 2012). In the long run, the community nurse is able to provide sustainable solution on health especially in the area of HIV/AIDS. Community nursing also advocates for utilisation of existing resources within the client population. Education and counselling should be based on the existing health needs. The nurse should also utilise available facilities within the community to enhance community understanding. Linking the need with available facilities locally increases awareness program which is part of promotion of health literacy. Promotion of healthy literacy within high school community can only be affordable when local facilities are utilised. It also helps the students to own the program since the nursing team uses their school resources in conducting health literacy promotion. Application of community nursing principles in health promotion especially in school setting aims at empowering participants to create sustainable strategies. Once students have the reliable information concerning HIV/AIDS, they are able to advance awareness program through various activities within the school. Note that they develop realistic strategies suitable in learning environment. Some of the activities they develop include open discussion and formation of peer groups. They may also come up with sporting and other extra-curriculum activities as part of sensitisation program. These are activities that are more applicable in learning institutions since high school students have high interest for these activities (Guzys, & Petrie, 2013). Through activities such as games and music festivals among others, students are able to convey sensitisation messages to their colleagues. Roles of a Nurse in Community Health Service The nurse plays a central role in promoting health literacy in the community. To develop sustainable program for health literacy education in high schools, the nurse plays different roles. These include provision of nursing care, educating students on healthy living, advocacy campaign on HIV/AIDS, development of management plan, collaborating with participants and other stakeholders, providing leadership and conducting research relating to prevalence of HIV/AIDS among high school students (Stanhope, & Lancaster, 2013). Community nurse plays all these roles just to ensure the program is successful. Consequently, the students are able to conduct the program themselves with minimum supervision from the nurse. Theories of Community Nursing There are various theories of community nursing. These theories apply in different settings depending on nature of the population and health needs of the community among other factors. In high school setting, community nurse may apply various theories to promote health literacy with specific emphasis on HIV/AIDS. They include milio’s prevention framework and Salmon’s White theory among others. Application of each theory depends on particular health needs within the community (Riekert, Ockene, & Pbert, 2013). This contributes to community understanding of their responsibility in preventing problems and promoting healthy living. In Milio’s framework, she attributes behavioural pattern to limitation of choices. This theory argues that people behave the way they do due to choices available and not lack of knowledge. According to Milio, the government and other interested health promotion agencies should provide alternative choices to the population in order to change the existing behaviour. It is applicable in high school health literacy promotion whereby the nurse directs students on healthy activities to engage in (Riekert, Ockene, & Pbert, 2013). Instead of thinking and planning on how to engage in irresponsible sex, high school students can play football or other game, join dancing group among other activities. The main reason for students engaging in sex activities is lack of alternative activity when they are not in class. Carrying out sex education with emphasis to HIV/AIDS is not the main issue of concern in this case. Milio’s theory concentrate on providing sufficient alternative choices to students hence prevent them from unhealthy behaviour. This theory takes realistic approach to fighting prevalence of HIV among high school students since it does not only provide education but also tangible solutions. It is not only an informative approach but also empowerment to the student’s community (Glanz, & Bishop, 2010). Milio’s theory has significant contribution towards developing sustainable health literacy among high school student’s community. Salmon’s White theory also provides a positive view of community health. It describes community health as organised deliberations from the society towards protecting its population against health challenges. It also talks about promotion and restoration of sustainable health in the community. In reference to HIV epidemic among high school students, Salmon White’s theory creates a proactive approach to health literacy promotion. Knowledge on community health among the high school student has protective impact on this particular community (McCuaig, Nelson, & OccThy, 2012). For this reason, community nurse may apply this theory to create preventive measures against HIV prevalence. Promotion of health literacy is one of the restorative measures. The implication is that Salmon White’s theory is realistic and applicable in school environment. To have a sustainable health literacy program in high schools, there is need for combination of the two theories. They all look at both present and future health situation among student’s community. Prevention of further prevalence of HIV among the student is a positive view aiming at tackling the challenge through realistic programs. On the other hand, developing more interesting activities for the students is also important. It provides sufficient choices for every student hence engaging them positively (Nkansah, Diedhiou, Agbanu, Harrod, & Dhawan, 2011). Consequently, HIV prevalence reduces thus restoring community health. The government and other health agencies should emphasise more on promotion of health literacy in high school students. Imparting knowledge on students has long lasting effects since they are able to apply the same even after studies. High school population is also very active sexually hence has high exposure to risk of contracting HIV. Developing and implementing sustainable health literacy programs is therefore necessary to combat the condition (Griebler, Rojatz, Simovska, & Forster, 2014). Literacy programs also prevent further prevalence hence creating a healthy society. Conclusion To achieve the goals of health literacy promotion among high school students, community nurse engages different stakeholders through consultation. It may require having finance partners to provide funds especially when developing awareness activities. However, this aspect may not have significant limitation towards health promotion since community nursing principle prescribes utilisation of locally available resources. In high school setting, the community nurse proposes the use of available facilities such as playing fields and theatre halls for these activities. Nevertheless, it is important to have reliable financial partners as key stakeholders in health literacy promotion. Consistent assessment is also essential to ensure the program remains relevant to the major course. Nursing team in the community collaborates with teachers and other staff members in learning institutions to evaluate the progress of this program. Besides tutors, community nurse may assign some of the leadership roles to students with an aim of motivating them. The goal here is to help create sustainable solution to problems they have. Participants make major decisions on how to develop and implement health literacy program with assistance from community nurse. Once they have proper guidance, they are in position to solve HIV issues in the population. In the long run, empowerment approach proves to be highly effective in delivering desirable results especially in addressing HIV/AIDS among high school students. Reference Allender, J., Rector, C., & Warner, K. (2013). Community & Public Health Nursing: Promoting the Public’s Health. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Francis, K., Chapman, Y., Hoare, K., & Birks, M. (2013). Community as partner: Theory and practice in nursing. 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