Health Promotion as One of the Nursing Practices Key Components - Essay Example

Primary Health Care Name: Institution: Course: Instructor: Date of submission: Health promotion entails a process which allows individuals to have an increase control over as well as improve their health. It does not only emphasis on individual behavior but also on various environmental and social interventions (WHO, 2014). The term health entails a state of mental, social, and physical wellbeing. According to McMurray and McClendon (2015) PHC (primary health care) aims at promoting health as well as wellbeing and at the same time preventing injury and ill health. WHO has recognized the growing proof that preventive health and health promotion approaches have efficacy in improving overall health, reduce chronic diseases’ burden, facilitate better resources use, address inequalities in health, and improve economic productivity. Investing in health promotion is an essential strategy that would help in containing the expected upsurge in health expenditure. Health promotion is essential today in addressing the problems in public health. Apart from that, health promotion is among the nursing practice’s key components (Hubley International, 2012). The Ottawa Charter on health promotion aims at giving guidance to the action on health promotion. The aim of this paper is to discussing the role of nurse/midwife in the major strategies for health promotion (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). The essay will focus on the role that nurse’s play in relation to primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of cancer treatment. The focus would be Cancer, one of the major chronic diseases in Australia. The best way to ensure the prevention of cancer is prevention and nurses play an essential role in ensuring that people are doing the right things to protect themselves against the disease. Cancer generally refers to a group of diseases characterized by abnormal multiplication of the body cells. The abnormal cells have the capacity to invade as well as destroy the tissues that surround them, eventually finding their way to the rest of the body parts. Cancer is among the major issue of health in Australia. Nurses play a central role in ensuring that high quality cancer services are delivered. They are critical in promoting screening as well as early detection, encouraging healthy lifestyle, and counseling and caring for patients at all stages of cancer (Stewart & Wild, 2014). Despite a decline in the number of deaths as well as an increase in the rate of survival, cancer comes second after cardiovascular diseases as the most common death cause in Australia. Nurses play an essential role in public health promotion and traditionally, they have played an important role in the prevention of diseases. Nurses can also greatly contribute towards the reduction as well as prevention of cancer and at the same time, they can play an essential role in tackling this national health concern. It is therefore, essential to put more emphasis on the role played by nurses in prevention and treatment of cancer, and in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from the condition. This would greatly contribute towards the reduction of the global cancer burden. Nurses can be critical in encouraging the general population and the patient to modify their behavior for instance, by consuming healthy food. Primary healthcare involves the maintaining wellbeing as well as health. It also involves the prevention of injuries before the occurrence of the disease. The prevention against carcinogens is an important role played by nurses. In terms of primary healthcare, nurses play an important role in educating people on ways to prevent against cancer (Benedictines University, 2013). They especially feature well in the development of education policy on cancer prevention. They can do this by organizing focus group discussion with the members of the community, teaching them about various prevention strategies such as eating healthy food such as consumption of food rich in anti-oxidants such as fruits and vegetables. Apart from that, nurses can play an important role in informing the population and the government about the chemicals that may cause cancers and these may include lead and furans, and PVCs. At the same time, they can advise the general public against cigarette smoking, one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Building a healthy public policy will help in addressing most of the health problems associated with cancer. Other strategies aimed at preventing against cancer include undertaking day to day physical exercise to avoid obesity, avoiding intake of fat-rich food, moderate consumption of alcohol, avoiding excessive sun exposure, applying strict regulations to prevent exposure to carcinogens, participation in the cervical cancer screening for women from about 25 years, participation for colorectal screening for men aged from about 50 years, and participating in vaccination program with the aim of preventing against hepatitis B. Nurses act as policy makers and can play an important role in informing the general population and the patients about their decision’s consequences and urge them to take responsibility for their health. Apart from that, nurses can play an essential role in coordinating nutrition education for cancer prevention as well as contributing to activities that would ensure a cancer free environment (WHO, 2012). They are also critical in ensuring that the general public is making a health choice to prevent the prevalence of cancer. Apart from that, nurses play an important role in ensuring the creation of supportive environment (Hubley International, 2012). They work hand in hand with the entire stakeholder to encourage all the members of the society to take care of each other because such a move will contribute greatly towards the prevention of cancer. Secondary prevention is the curative aspect of primary healthcare. It means that the disease has already occurred and the nurses have a role to play especially in treating it. They work together with the doctors to ensure that the patient is free from the disease. World health organization’s intention is to ensure that everybody is leading a healthy lifestyle (Benedictines University, 2013). Changing life’s patterns leisure, as well as work has significantly impacted health. In terms of cancer prevention, nurses would ensure that the cancer patients are living in a safe, stimulating, as well as satisfying life (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). Secondary intervention aims at reducing the impact of already present disease. Nurses play a role in detecting as well as treating the disease to slow or halt its progress. They do this by encouraging personal strategies to ensure the prevention of the reoccurrence and re-injury. Apart from that, nurses facilitate the implementation of programs to ensure that people are returning back to their original function as well as health. Among the strategies would include regular tests and screen exams to ensure a detection of the disease early and this may include the use of mammogram to ensure the detection of breast cancer (Benedictines University, 2013). Apart from that, secondary prevention occurs in a case where condition has been identified and then conducting an investigation for the condition. Among the cancer’s sign include change in urine and fece elimination, chronic oral cavity wound, painless lymph node and breast mass, chronic hoarseness, sore throat, and cough, weight loss, as well as dysphagia (WHO, 2016). Tertiary prevention entails the prevention of disease’s deterioration by softening its effects. Nurses play a role in helping the cancer patients to manage the disease and this aims at helping them to improve. The role of nurses in this case is divided into rehabilitation, prevention of metastasis, and palliative purpose. Early detection is essential to help in the proper management of the condition (WHO, 2016). Nurses’ primary healthcare role also incorporates health education on risk factors for cancer, their causes, as well as appropriate care for self (National Cancer Institute, 2015). Apart from that, tertiary prevention also involves supportive services aimed at minimizing morbidity and at the same time maximizing the quality of life after an individual is diagnosed with cancer. With the growth of cancer survivor population, several researches aimed at identifying those at risk is underway (Hatford, 2010). Health promotion offer support to social and personal development through offering education and info for health, and at the same time improving life skills. When it comes to rehabilitative intervention, nurses can play a role in encouraging the patients to have control over their health and at the same time live in an environment which is conducive. Apart from that, nurses take part in ensuring that people are learning through life and at the same time prepare them at every stage of the disease, providing them with the strategies of coping with cancer. Being health professionals, nurses play a role of promoting cancer health services, advising people to make step in screening for cancer. They are part of the healthcare system which is essential in health pursuant. Health services need to ensure that it is embracing an expanded directive which is sensitive and at the same time has respect for culture. While moving into the future, it is important to note that health comes about by caring for others as swell as oneself and by ensuring that the societal conditions are conducive to allow for the attainment of health by everybody (Hatford, 2010). So far, primary prevention for cancer remains to be the best strategy for cancer elimination. Such an approach requires support from the providers of healthcare including nurses (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014). References McMurray, A., & Clendon, J. (2015). Community Health and Wellness: Primary Health Care in Practice (5th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Churchill Livingstone World Health Organization. (1986). The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion: First International Conference on Health Promotion. Hubley International. (2012). Health promotion and public health. Benedictines University. (2013). The role of nurses in preventive health care. Retrieved from http://online.ben.edu/?cmgfrm=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com Hatford, J. (2010). The role of nurse in health promotion. Canadian Health Care News. Retrieved from http://hospitalnews.com/ Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2014). Preventing and treating ill health. Australian Government. National Cancer Institute. (2015). Cancer treatment. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/ WHO. (2016). Treatment of cancer: cancer treatment programs. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/en/ Stewart, B. and Wild, C.P. (2014). World Cancer Report. International Agency for Research on Cancer: WHO. WHO. (2012). Enhancing nursing and midwifery capacity to contribute to the prevention, treatment and management of non-communicable diseases. University of California, Los Angeles: School of Nursing. Read More