Nurses Role in Observing Strategies for Health Promotion - Essay Example

Principles of Primary Health Care Name of Student Student Number Institution Course Code Name of Lecturer Date of Submission Nurses Role in Observing Strategies for Health Promotion Introduction The major goal of Primary health care (PHC) is to promote the health and wellbeing of individuals, as well as avoid ill health or occurrences of injury (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). Various measures and initiatives are outlined and put in place effectively to ensure quality realisation of care and wellbeing to all individuals in the community. In November 1986 the first international conference was held in Ottawa where actions to achieve health for worldwide populations was presented. The policies discussed were condensed into a document containing five action areas that advocated for health promotion. Health was viewed as a process that enabled people to develop their wellness with assets they own as the supporting factors and therefore, grasping an opportunity to contribute to their wellbeing and living a quality life. The aim of this paper is to contextualize and discuss the role of the nurse in utilizing the health promotion strategies relayed in the Ottawa charter. The discussion will be conducted with relation to obesity as problem facing the society and nursing interventions to realise health promotion will be discussed. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion refers to five action areas: develop personal skill, re-orient health services, build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, and strengthen community action (WHO, 1986). Health promotion according to is the process of giving people the ability to increase control over their health and in thus contribute to improvement of their health. Health promotion practices are not only concerned with the behaviour of individuals, but also focus much on the organizational structure of society and the policies that underpin this social organization (Rod, 2015). Strategies to Health Promotion Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and is faster threatening to be a global epidemic. Obesity represents a dangerous risk of paving way for other chronic diseases the likes of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Puhl, 2007). The World Health Organisation estimates that a third of the world is obese and there is need for strategic measures to reduce the occurrence (WHO, 2015). The health care practitioners ought to come up with evidence-based measures in their practice to curb the growth of this problem in the society. Thus, health care promotion strategies come to practice. The first of the five strategies for health promotion is development of personal skills. What role does the nurse play in advocating for development of persona skills? This is a question we ought to consider so as to find out what is causing the dramatic rise of obesity cases and what ways are effective to curb the prevailing situation. Personal Skills Development In promoting health over populations it would be of significance if there are plans that allow for supporting personal and social development of individuals in society (Rootman et al, 2001). Health care practitioners, especially the nurses go out into society and provide necessary information to the masses on issues regarding obesity and enhancing life skills. This goes beyond traditional health education which seems to have less positive impact on health behaviours. One way in which the environment promotes obesity is by allowing more frequent opportunities for consumption of junk foods in large proportions (Puhl, 2007). The nurses may prevent this by coming up with programs of consumer education to reduce portion sizes which in turn limit tendencies for overeating. Healthcare practitioners should work with agricultural and food industry to ensure production of appropriate foods, promote healthy choices and allow for investigative research of mechanisms that allow for regulation of food intake (Hawe et al., 2000). Unsafe food taking cessation and prevention programs should show some collaboration between community, school based groups and working populations and should involve development of policies as a broad strategy. Re-orienting Health Services Re orienting health services is the second strategy for health promotion. This strategy advocate for healthcare practitioners to work in unison towards achieving a health care system that brings about progress in the pursuit of health. The nurses ought to go beyond providing clinical and curative services and rather broaden their mandates that approach helping the society against obesity in a more holistic way (Carter, Braunack-Mayer & Jancey, 2015). This may be achieved by acknowledging connections between health and other fields- social, political and economic and environmental conditions. This way, the whole society with an example from healthcare practitioners should learn to view healthcare as a movement towards achievement of health and not as a movement that just sees to it eradication of illness (Weiss et al., 2002). The situation therefore calls for ample research on preventive measures of obesity and effective ways of emancipating the masses on proper feeding habits. The healthcare sector is the most important domain that creates proper conditions to be followed to advocate for health in the society (Carter et al., 2015). Registered nurses are being trained on becoming advocates for health promotion rather than the common notion of their being just part of the repair service. This leads to a change in attitude and organization of health services thus, promote health of both individual and society as a whole (International Union for Health Promotion and Education, 2000). Support Environments Creating supportive environments is stipulated in the Ottawa Charter as the socio- ecological approach to health. The conversation of the natural resources all over the world is emphasized in this context. Lately, with massive global economic growth, there has been a great shift from rural areas into urban areas which are spontaneous spaces and unfamiliar habitats for most people (Rod, 2015). Obesity trends show a high occurrence in cities compared to rural areas. The Ottawa Charter for health promotion identified the importance of environments in supporting health stating that the connection between people and their environments are the basis for socio- ecological approach to health (World Health Organization, 1986). Healthcare practitioners advocate for protection of natural resources and creation of healthy environments that allow for growth and production of foods that have nutritional benefit to society and those that reduce the epidemic of obesity. Maller et al. (2005) argue that people who have regular access to natural settings that favour wellbeing have been found to have reduced health issues compared to the ones who have no access to such environments. Eating habits that lead to obesity are at times caused by emotional difficulties such as stress which may be reduced by living and working in natural settings. The healing effects of natural views have been realized by hospitals and nursing homes as having an impact on healing of patients suffering from stress and mood instability. Information Systems The use of information systems has proved beneficial in supporting change in the healthcare systems. The bringing together of all domains of the society so as to emancipate the masses would necessitate a platform for communication and that bring in the aspect of Information technology (Mcmurray & Clendon, 2015). With growth of social media, nursing institutions can reach massive population and emancipate them on the dangers obesity poses to the wellbeing of both the individual and the society at large. The aim of advancing health information and social marketing is to widen the knowledge of individual behaviour change and influencing this change through provision of health information on a broader perspective (Carter et al., 2015). This in turn allows for the development of personal skills and advocates for broader social and environment change agendas. Strengthening Community Action Three levels of prevention are present in the promotion of wellness among people and involve primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention is the maintenance of health and wellbeing through curbing of illnesses, as well as secondary preventions involving treatment and limitations of illness or injury. Further, McMurray and Clendon (2015) assert that tertiary prevention constitute the restorative measures that incorporates rehabilitation, transition to community care and introductions of support programs. Strengthening community action involves increasing community control over the determinant of health through coming together as members of a community and participating in collective efforts to encourage healthy behaviour, capacity building, empowerment and increasing health literacy (Rod, 2015). Nurses here play an organizational role where they built advocacy programs and seminars where they involve other stakeholders in society to discuss on issues relating to cause and effect with regard to obesity. By working with community groups priorities are set and goals that enhance the health of the community achieved (Rajgopal et al., 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, it is necessary for healthcare practitioners to find effective ways to deal with the crisis of obesity which is growing rapidly. From analysis, the worldwide trend in respect to obesity is greatly affecting the overall health and wellbeing of individuals globally. This in turn results in increased incidences of lifestyle disorders like hypertension and diabetes. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion refers to five action areas: development of personal skills, re-orientation of health services, building of healthy public policies, creation of supportive environments and strengthening of community action. By applying the strategies for health promotion presented in the Ottawa charter, nurses can deal with obesity effectively and see the reduction of chronic diseases associated with obesity. References Carter, S.M., Braunack-Mayer, A. & Jancey, J. (2015). Health promotion practice, research ethics and publishing in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 26(3), 167-169. Hawe, P., King, L., Noort, M., Jordens, C. and Lloyd B. (2000). Indicators to help with Capacity Building in Health Promotion. Sydney: NSW Health Department International Union for Health Promotion and Education (2000). The Evidence of Health Promotion Effectiveness: Shaping Public Health in a New Europe. London, UK: European Commission. Maller, C. Townsend, M. Pryor, A. Brown, P and Leger L. (2005). Healthy nature healthy people: ‘contact with nature’ as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health Promotion International, 21(1). 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Accessed May 2, 2016 . World Health Organization (1986). Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. First International Conference on Health Promotion Ottawa. Geneva: World Health Organization. Accessed May 3, 2016 . Read More