Category: Health

This essay provides a case scenario of Janet Smith, a patient who suffered a road accident, and sustained injuries resulting into pain and wounds. We should examine her general home environment and associated health risks situations. These include animals, her indoor and outdoor residence, and a situational environmental hazards, e.g., cigarette smoking. However, we put emphasis on indoor health hazards, such as dirt and smoking. Currently, there are health standards that aim at minimizing risks at home and recognize preventative measures using environmental health guidelines.

Janet Smith lives with her husband and children. At the moment, the children are away from home. The outdoor environment presents a poorly kept garden. There are also holes on a concrete path leading to the house. This is a health hazard to the household. Moreover, there are many hazards at home. Although most local authorities provide outdoor maintenance, particularly in public places, maintenance at home remains a sole responsibility of the homeowner and the household. There are some household habits and activities, such as smoking, use of personal effects products and air fresheners, keeping animal pets, and medication treatment, which pose serious health hazards to the household.

Floor, carpet, and furniture are all covered with dust at Janet Smiths residence. The bedroom is untidy with dirty items including a bird in a dirty cage, and unwashed clothes tacked at a corner. There always noise on the background coming from the television which is constantly on. These items are likely to harbour pollutants, dusts, and allergens that any family member may inhale. Still, poor cleaning of these items may result in moulds and bacteria that can cause serious health problems. This is not a suitable environment for recovery.

The nurse also noticed that Janets partner was opening the front door with difficulty. This implies that a wounded Janet would not be able to manage that door on her own.

Electric equipments, such as television and other gadgets, in Janets room can cause fire. Conditions of Janets bedroom can easily result in an accident, or fire. The nurse should assess the risk they present to the family and advise its members how to reduce these hazards. The nurse should also inform them about the fire precautions.

The bedroom environment is also a smoking environment because both Janet and Mike are smokers. Environmental health risk assessment is necessary for all the nurses. The role of the nurses is changing as home visits become part of their jobs. Home visits enable nurse students to acquire risk assessment techniques and environmental health risk assessment skills. This also enables students and nurses to apply knowledge from community assessment and use it in real community settings. Therefore, inclusion of community home visits and environment assessment is a fundamental part of nursing course.

Janets home at a glance reveals many issues of environmental and health concerns. The garden is unattended, and the concrete path has holes. The main door is difficult to open, and Mike reluctantly welcomes the nurse in claiming that they can manage on their own.

The bedroom where Janet rests is dirty. The carpet has stains and dusts. The television is always on making a constant background noise, and there is a bird in a dirty cage next to the bed. Janet also keeps a dog and two cats which are serious health hazards because of the infectious diseases they can carry. Both Janet and Mike are smokers notwithstanding the fact that smoking has serious health implications for both the active and the passive smokers. There are serious environmental health risks in Janets residence. Thus, the nurse must offer immediate recommendations and provide appropriate referrals to help the Janets family reduce their level of exposures.

Critical thinking

Studies have found out that cats and dogs that share beds with people are carriers of staph infections, meningitis, and plague. Janet Smith keeps both a dog and cats without knowing the risk. Her health condition makes her vulnerable to the viruses and bacteria carried by her pets due to her reduced immunity system. She also exposes her children to infectious diseases. Toxocariasis disease results from contacting with the soil or sand containing eggs of roundworm which are found in dogs or cats excrements children (Rice, 1999). Janet Smith should stop sharing her bed with her cats and a dog to avoid possible infections. Her pets should receive a veterinarian care to check their health condition and to ensure in the safety of the household. The family should observe personal hygiene when handling wastes from the dog and cats.

Environmental Health Risk assessment exposes students and nurses to observational methods and skills necessary during the home visits in assessing environmental risks at patients place. Nursing focuses on health risks in a home environment and air pollution that happens indoors. These issues have become the main causes of injuries which worsen existing health conditions among the susceptible populations, such as sick people, infants, pregnant women, the elderly, and children (Rice, 1999). Smoking exposes the couple to high blood pressure, lung cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as other illnesses. They also make their children to suffer from the effects of their smoking habits. In this case, they are passive smokers since the couple exposes them to smokes from their cigarettes.

Most diseases are caused by the environment that surrounds us. There are people who are prone to diseases from the environment. A dirty home environment exposes people to several health hazards, such as bacteria, mould, animals diseases, dusts, radon, and carbon monoxide, among the others. Nurses are useful in tackling effects of exposures from a health risk environment. Nurses can improve poor environment conditions by using risk assessment criteria and environment health education, and making appropriate recommendations on improving the lifestyle of patients (Edmondson and Williamson, 1998).

Nurses can use environment factors in assessing health risk factors in order to reduce various results derived from the tests to make the right diagnosis. Assessments of environmental risk situations also enable nurses to contribute towards risk reductions, preventive methods, and education. Nurses have opportunities of providing households with thorough environment assessments and offer immediate strategies for risk reductions. This also enables them to make appropriate referrals and obtain help from the available local resources (Rasmor and Brown, 2001).

There are different environmental risks reductions and interventions to the patients. Every family experiences some level of exposures. Nurses visit patients at home in order to get information about the possible health risk conditions caused by environment. These roles cover all the settings of nursing practice. Thus, every nurse can provide home assessment and information to reduce risks, as well as appropriate referral services to the patients. In this regard, nurses act as agents preventing these risks through providing screening activities, and education for patients (Snyder, Sattler and Strasser, 1994). Consequently, background knowledge in environmental issues is necessary for all the nurses without considering areas of specializations and settings.

Reference List

Edmondson, M & Williamson, G 1998, Environmental health education for health professionals and communities, AAOHN J, vol. 46, no.1, pp. 1419.

Rasmor, M & Brown, C 2001, Health assessment for the occupational and environmental health nurse, AAOHN J, vol. 49 no. 7, pp. 347357.

Rice, R 1999, Environmental threats in the home: home care nursing perspectives, Geriatr Nurs, vol. 20 no. 6, pp. 332336.

Snyder M, Sattler B & Strasser J 1994, Environmental and occupational health education, AAOHN J, vol. 42 no. 7 , pp. 325328.

Introduction

The proposed research is focused on how students view sleeping habits and their effects on physical health. The importance of the study is justified by the fact that sleeping can affect the well-being, academic success, and health of individuals. For this reason, the improved understanding of their behaviors will help students to increase the quality of their lives. The following literature review creates the theoretical framework by highlighting such aspects as health, academic activity, and well-being.

The existing body of literature acknowledges the outstanding importance of sleep and its impact on various spheres of human activity. Adriansen et al. (2017) assume that inadequate sleep patterns have multiple effects on students health, academic performance, and well-being. In most cases, learners know this fact and do not deny the significance of this factor; however, they still give little attention to sleep and do not prioritize it as one of their central responsibilities during their studying (Adriansen et al., 2017). For this reason, their physical health might suffer. The purpose of the research conducted by Adriansen et al. (2017) was to outline the sleeping patterns and how college students view them. Using the survey as the data collection tool, the investigators state that most students do not have appropriate sleep habits, although they agree that their academic success and physical health suffer because of the lack of sleep. 77% of respondents report that they have the desire to sleep during the day and make at least one-hour naps. It means that they might have an insufficient amount of sleep affecting their lives.

Toscano-Hermoso et al. (2020) support the idea that sleep habits are vital for students physical health, quality of life, and academic performance. In their study among 855 students, they assessed the quality of their sleep, attitudes to this issue, and problems associated with low sleep quality. The researchers conclude that the inability to follow a special schedule and have enough time for rest critically affects the state of students, especially in stressful periods and during exams (Toscano-Hermoso et al., 2020). Respondents acquired a higher frequency of nightmares and reported overall tiredness, and inability to reach high academic scores (Toscano-Hermoso et al., 2020). It means that there is a direct correlation between students physical health and the amount and quality of their sleep. At the same time, most respondents agree that the lack of sleep can cause some problems in the future; however, they are still not able to reconsider their habits to attain some improvement in this sphere. In such a way, the given research supports the idea offered by Adriansen et al. (2017) in their study and contributes to the further investigation of the given problem.

Finally, Wunsch et al. (2017) analyze the problem of sleep from another perspective. The researchers take the popular hypothesis that physical activity can mitigate the negative effects of academic stress on the health of students Wunsch et al., 2017). At the same time, a significant number of students believe that their regular engagement in physical activities can help to diminish the adverse effects of insufficient sleep, high tiredness levels, and stress (Wunsch et al., 2017). Using surveys as a data collection tool, Wunsch et al. (2017) asked students about their sleep quality, activity levels, and academic successes. The results demonstrate that physical activity can buffer the negative effects of stress and poor sleep caused by health-related outcomes (Wunsch et al., 2017). However, the results also show a dangerous misbelief that exercising might also help to compensate for the lack of rest (Wunsch et al., 2017). It means that realizing the importance of appropriate sleep patterns, students might still have incorrect visions of how to align their behaviors to attain desired outcomes.

Altogether, the literature review proves the critical importance of sleep and the multiple effects it has on the health of students, their physical states, and academic performance. The majority of students might have a correct understanding of the importance of sleep; however, they still devote little attention to this aspect of their lives, which means that there is a need for further research on students perceptions of sleeping habits and how their impact health.

Hypothesis and Research Questions

Hypothesis

The investigation of the selected topic presupposes formulation of the hypothesis and research question that should impact the choice of the research methodology, data collection, and data analysis methods. For this reason, a hypothesis plays a critical role in the study and affects its outcomes (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The proposed assumption rests on the information acquired from the literature review and is created to improve the overall understanding of the issue of concern:

Positive changes in students perception of their sleeping habits can have positive effects on their physical health.

The given hypothesis rests on several important factors. First, most investigators agree that learners devoted little attention to the quality of their sleep, although they know its significance. It results in multiple health problems and decreased academic performance. Second, the demonstration of negative effects helps to increase awareness levels and attain better outcomes. Under these conditions, cultivating a better perception among this cohort, it is possible to enhance their health and avoid serious complications in the future.

Research Questions

The research questions are formulated regarding the purpose of the research and the hypothesis offered above. They are vital for choosing the following direction for the investigation and acquiring relevant findings. For this reason, the following research questions are formulated:

• What are students perceptions about how sleeping habits affect their physical health?
• How do students evaluate their current sleeping patterns and the effects they have on their current states?
• What effects might positive changes in students awareness regarding sleeping habits have on their physical health?
• What factors affect students perception of sleeping habits?

Answering these questions demand collecting relevant and personal data from students about their current visions, attitudes, and experiences. At the same time, they will help to either prove or refute the hypothesis formulated above and conclude about how learners view the given problem and what progress can be made by working with this cohort and explaining all factors linked to the issue.

Research Design

The nature of the formulated hypothesis and research question presupposes the use of qualitative research design. First, it will help to collect the personal data of students and create the basis for cogitations and analysis (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Second, qualitative tools are more effective when working with real-life experiences and attitudes of people involved in the research (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). As far as the study is focused on assessing how students view sleeping patterns regarding physical health, the use of this paradigm seems an advantageous way to gather information demanded to answer the research questions formulated above and acquire credible results.

Regarding the choice of the qualitative paradigm, a survey becomes one of the first tools employed for the research. It is a practical method to work with targeted populations and investigate their experiences or ideas linked to a particular phenomenon (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Moreover, for the convenience of participants and researchers, online surveys can be used (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). It will also help to include the demanded number of respondents with specific characteristics, such as age and involvement in studying activities. In such a way, a survey among the selected group is one of the first data collection tools employed in the course of the study.

To prove the hypothesis, an experiment can be used as another method. Assuming that students with a better vision of sleeping patterns importance might have improved physical states, it is vital to test this statement. The experiment presupposes creating two groups to compare results (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Students belonging to the first group will be explained the importance of appropriate sleep habits and provided with guidelines on how to behave to have a sufficient amount of sleep. Participants from the second group will adhere to their usual lifestyles. After an outlined period (1 month), the results of both groups can be compared using reports provided by individuals. It will show whether improvement in knowledge of sleep patterns can help to promote positive outcomes and help learners to avoid deterioration of their physical health, academic performance, and activity levels. Altogether, using these two approaches, it is possible to collect the data needed to answer the research questions and discuss the hypothesis.

Data Collection, Representation, and Analysis

Data Collection

As stated previously, the survey is viewed as the major data collection tool used for the project. It can be distributed online, which increases its convenience and reduces the costs needed to perform the investigation. Moreover, surveys provide an opportunity to ask multiple questions about a subject of interest and collect a broad range of different data, such as attitudes, experiences, and knowledge (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). For this reason, using surveys distributed among participants, it is possible to gather facts and information vital for the research and conclude about the current students perceptions of sleep patterns and their impact on the quality of their lives and physical health. Reports provided by students can also be used as a data collection tool useful for the research.

Data Analysis

The collected data is analyzed by using several approaches. First, content analysis is employed to analyze the current attitudes of students and their representations of healthy sleep patterns, their effect on physical health, and awareness levels. The use of this method will help to outline the most common beliefs among students, structure them, and conclude about the existence of specific correlations between representations and outcomes (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The narrative and grounded theory analysis are also employed to prove or refute the hypothesis using the results of findings and data provided by students in surveys. The use of these methods will contribute to the increased credibility of findings and their use for concluding.

Data Representation

The acquired data can be presented by using tables to visualize findings. The most common beliefs and attitudes among students will be included in tables and structured to improve the current understanding of a situation and how certain representations precondition the emergence of undesired outcomes among students. Additionally, the collected data can be represented in terms of the offered hypothesis to prove it and state that the changes in awareness levels might have an overall positive effect on students lives and the quality of their studying. In such a way, data representation will help to enhance the current vision of the situation and issue under concern.

Discussion and Conclusion

Altogether, the relevance of the selected topic comes from the importance of sleep patterns and the multiple effects they have on students, their physical health, and their learning capabilities. The body of research proves the correlation between appropriate sleep and well-being levels and quality of life. The authors state that although students may realize that it is vital to have a good sleep, they still devote little attention to this aspect. Under these conditions, the given research improves the current vision of the problem and delves into the question of students perceptions of sleep patterns and their impact on their health.

It is expected that the research conducted among the target audience consisting of students will prove the positive correlation between the positive changes in learners ideas and their physical health. At the same time, by answering the research questions formulated above, the conclusion about the positive changes in students awareness can be made. The importance of the research comes from the relevance of the investigated topic and the high level of stress peculiar to students, especially during exams. It also creates the basis for future research devoted to the same problem, as the health of this group is a critical determinant of the nations ability to evolve and remain healthy.

References

Adriansen, R., Childers, A., Abraham, S., & Yoder, T. (2017). Sleeping habits and perception of its health effects among college students.International Journal of Studies in Nursing, 2(2), 28-36. Web.

Creswell, J., & Creswell, D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5^th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Toscano-Hermoso, M., Arbinaga, F., Fernandez-Ozcorta, E., Gomez-Salgado, J., Ruiz-Frutos, C. (2020). Influence of sleeping patterns in health and academic performance among university students.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 1-17. Web.

Wunsch, K., Kasten, N., & Fuchs, R. (2017). The effect of physical activity on sleep quality, well-being, and affect in academic stress periods.Nature and Science of Sleep, 9, 117-126. Web.

A person has to remember to evaluate their experiences every once in a while to ensure that they are moving in the right direction and make necessary alterations along the way. A great reflective model in accordance with which it can be done is Kolbs (1984) learning cycle model. It proposes a four-stage process: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. When it comes to the concrete experiences I want to reflect upon, these are the ones connected to working with and learning from other students as well as using my studies to help progress my career. With both of these, I recall expecting to see significant positive outcomes by this time of the year, and as much is said in my study planning template. In addition to that, I aspired to continue getting better at organizing and planning my study time.

I cannot say that I am a hundred percent happy with my current results; however, it cannot be denied that I have made significant progress in the afore-mentioned areas as compared to the beginning of the year. I am actively learning to collaborate with other students and not compete with them but rather learn from them when they succeed at something while I do not. In addition to that, I believe that information and skills that I am acquiring now will all be of use for me when the time to build my career comes, though it has not yet. I feel that I am a specialist in the making, and it makes me very happy. Moreover, I am satisfied with how I handle the organization and planning of my study time and balancing it with my personal life.

When it comes to what I have learned from these experiences is the power of discipline. I see with my own eyes where setting a goal and making small steps towards achieving it every day can lead a person. However, I would do something differently going forward: I need to learn to go easier on myself sometimes and not be as upset at the visible lack of progress. This has caused me a great amount of frustration, which is never a good thing and only takes away ones energy.

One of the most fascinating concepts a person can imagine is that of ones being who they are, or, alternatively, identity. It is a complex idea that has been at the center of exploration in many areas of research. This essay focuses on studying identity in the context of health and the significance of recognizing it in the provision of care. For one, various facets of identity can serve as a basis for peoples treatment of members of specific groups differently, and that potentially leads to discrimination, one remedy for which is mutual support. It is important for health and social care workers to understand how both mutual support and discrimination work to be able to provide to patients care of the highest quality.

Identity is a fundamental part of a so-called sense of self; yet it is a certainty that at times some events will disturb it. One example of an event that can threaten a persons sense of self is an illness. However, it is important to note that this does not concern short-term diseases such as a cold or an infection, but rather more serious illnesses and conditions that can have an effect on how an individual functions, what people expect of them, and their future plans. When one is diagnosed with such a condition, it might become difficult for them to maintain or manage a sense of self and they might even have to accept a new identity.

What comes to a person with an illness is not only the illness itself but also the understanding that they have to learn how to be ill in a recognizable way. Recognizable way in that regard means the way by which one can be recognized as being ill and affected by it, and therefore, be able to either receive help or help oneself. According to Talcott Parsons (1951), an American sociologist, this is called taking on the sick role, in which the sick role becomes the part of an individuals identity. A way for someone to discover how a person deals with their condition and identity of someone with a condition is to listen to them talk about it. Greenhalgh and Hurwitz (1999) note that one might touch upon such things as the effect of the illness on their life, what they have had to face when fighting it, how other people have reacted to the illness, and how it continues to impact them. Some practitioners suppose that hearing a patient telling their story may provide an opportunity to develop an understanding that cannot be achieved in any other way.

In general, when a person shares aspects of their identity with others, it can make them feel accepted and appreciated. People with identities that can be called problematic happen to often seek to join in groups that provide information and support. In health and social care, group membership can serve as a source of support for an ill person that no other source can match. There are numerous reasons why one might want to be a part of a social or support group. For instance, it can be ones desire to get help in managing or overcoming an addiction, receive encouragement while losing weight, or share experiences between people with a particular health condition. However, joining a group is not always an easy process, and sometimes attitudes towards the group or within it change as time passes. Moreover, mutual support is not a one-box solution, and some support groups might be established for commercial or ideological purposes. It is important for a social and health worker to realize that and be yet be advised that when care is put into selecting the right group, they can be an extremely beneficial source of support.

Another important experience to describe when talking about the concept of identity is that of discrimination. As per Dovidio et al. (2010), discrimination starts with prejudices, which are attitudes towards people based on stereotypes, mostly negative and inaccurate. Where prejudicial attitudes and beliefs are put into practice, discrimination is created. The effect of discrimination can be extremely detrimental and depends on the context in which it occurs. For one, negative stereotyping and prejudice can have a profound impact on how one sees themselves and behaves, which is well illustrated by the a so-called labelling theory. In line with this theory, labels attached to people can be the foundation for shaping their self-perception, and, in fact, tend to serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is, if people see someone in a certain light and talk about them accordingly, a person will likely see themselves in the same way, think correspondingly, and act in ways for the label to become true.

This is why, in social and health care work, labelling is an important concept. People who are deemed to be unable to care for themselves by service providers can internalize this attitude even if is not true. This might lead to service users not only beginning to feel dependent, but to them losing the actual ability to take care of themselves. A way for social and health care practitioners to avoid discrimination founded on stereotyping is to learn to understand the needs of people from different backgrounds. Granted, it is not an easy task to classify and describe peoples differences as everyone is someone with a unique set of needs and their own identity. However, it is important that health and social care workers at least understand such concepts as stereotypes and attitudes. This understanding will influence not only their quality of care for specific groups, but also the likelihood of people wanting to work with these groups.

In conclusion, ones identity is a complicated concept that can be altered by an event such as a long-term condition. Some of a persons identity is affected by groups with whom they share common characteristics, and this experience can be ones source of support in difficult times. However, these same characteristics are often the reason for someone stereotyping and, potentially, judging and discriminating against other people. For practitioners, it is essential to know about the concept of identity, the possibility of discrimination, and the experience of mutual support so that the care they provide is of the highest quality.

Reference List

Dovidio, J., Hewstone, M., Glick, P. and Esses, V.M. (2010) The SAGE handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. London: SAGE Publications.

Greenhalgh, P. and Hurwitz, B. (1999) Narrative based medicine: Why study narrative?, The BMJ, 318, pp. 4850.

Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Parsons, T. (1951) The Social System. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press.

The introduction of EHR has changed the entire landscape of healthcare. Allowing healthcare practitioners and nurses to improve information management by introducing a system for data storage, arrangement, and transfer, EHR has caused significant shifts in performance across all departments. Specifically, notable changes have been observed in the Surgical Department and Pediatrics, particularly, in regard to the implementation of healthcare services. By emphasizing the importance of active communication between a healthcare provider and a patient or the patients parents, as well as reinforcing training and using training and active support as the strategies for vendor maintenance, a healthcare organization will ensure quality of care.

While some of the needs associated with the implementation of the EHR framework, such as the provision of the relevant training, are homogenous across all departments, a range of requirements associated with EHR implementation are unique to the settings of surgery and pediatrics. Specifically, to facilitate effective implementation of EHR-related activities and core tasks, the pediatrics department will have to be supported by enhancing collaboration and communication between healthcare practitioners and parents (Brooks et al., 2021). Since the latter are aware of critical information concerning their childrens health history and the relevant issues, the data supplied by parents must be included into the EHR system.

Similarly, the surgical setting implies significant constraints in regard to patient communication due to the nature of the procedures offered in the specified context. Since, in most cases, the patent is sedated, in course of a surgery, healthcare experts must be aware of the key health-related factors and patient characteristics that may affect the outcome prior to attempting an intervention. Therefore, the implementation process of introducing the EWHR framework into the surgical setting will have to be aligned with the process of staff education concerning the use of EHR, as well as the significance of active data sharing.

To ensure compliance with the EHR principles and the standards for effective patient communication and education, a substantial amount of training will have to be provided. Namely, the members of the surgical department will have to be taught to use the necessary resources and techniques in order to access patient i9nformation immediately during surgeries, thus, minimizing the time lapse of an intervention and, consequently, the risks to the patients health (Coleman et al., 2021). The specified training process will have to be geared toward two primary objectives, which are perfecting employees digital skills to the point where their actions are performed mechanically.

To achieve the set goals, specifically, the goal of training the hospital staff to improve the quality of surgeries and the efficacy of pediatric interventions, one will require effective vendor support and vendor maintenance. The vendor support process will have to be based on the consultations that EHR vendors provide to their customers. Specifically, detailed instructions and clarifications concerning the use of EHR tools will be retrieved and incorporated into the training program to be designed for the hospital staff. At the specified stage, it will be vital to focus on a personalized approach toward managing surgery- and pediatrics-related issues regarding the implementation of EHR, which may require the use of evidence-based practice, specifically, the existing experience of the facility employees utilizing EHR tools in the hospital environment.

Similarly, vendor maintenance will consist primarily of regular check-ups and the relevant repair=s needed to keep the necessary equipment for data processing and storage in prime condition. The specified goal will be met by enhancing communication between the vendor and the facility. Similarly, a reporting system for informing the EHR vendor about possible malfunctioning of the software will have to be established. Thus, both the pediatric and surgical departments of the hospital will receive the services needed to maintain the quality of healthcare and the expeditiousness of their response to patients needs.

The outlined change will require certain time to be integrated into the target settings due to the multifaceted nature of the required alterations. Specifically, the process o0f employee training along with the installment and maintenance of the EHR equipment is expected to take several weeks. Overall, it is believed that the specified goals will be accomplished within two months, which will include transitioning to a new framework for decision-making based on patient-specific needs and the meticulous and fast analysis of the related information available to the healthcare staff.

I the context of pediatrics and surgery, maintaining vendor support by building a communication channel for receiving support and counseling from an EHR vendor, as well as training the staff and encouraging patient-healthcare provider communication, an organization will ensure high quality of care. The proposed strategy will build the basis for the healthcare facility members to navigate the vast amount of information needed to be processed in order to determine the best course of actions. The significance of accurate data transfer and interpretation is especially significant in the contexts of surgery and pediatrics, where communication with those receiving the appropriate services directly is substantially limited. Therefore, the emphasis on high-quality communication is vital.

References

Brooks, C. G., Spencer, J. R., Sprafka, J. M., Roehl, K. A., Ma, J., Londhe, A. A., He, F., Cheng, A., Brown, C. A., & Page, J. (2021). Pediatric BMI changes during COVID-19 pandemic: An electronic health record-based retrospective cohort study.EClinicalMedicine, 38, 1-7. Web.

Coleman, C., Gotz, D., Eaker, S., James, E., Bice, T., Carson, S., & Khairat, S. (2021). Analysing EHR navigation patterns and digital workflows among physicians during ICU pre-rounds. Health Information Management Journal, 50(3), 107-117. Web.

The main idea of the required reading, Chapter 9 in Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System is to discuss the essence, methods, and effects of managed care and integrated systems in the national healthcare sector. The authors admit that today many insured Americans address available private and government to cooperate with managed care organizations (MCOs) and maintain care costs (Shi & Singh, 2019). Among a variety of strong ideas presented in the chapter, I would like to address such points as managed care characteristics and the impact of the chosen system on care quality. One of the most successful elements applied by MCOs is the possibility to manage financing, insurance, delivery, and payment independently (Shi & Singh, 2019). Financial premiums are usually discussed by employers and MCOs that take responsibility for risk assumptions. Contacts with physicians, hospitals, and other care stakeholders allow MCOs to choose their own physicians and control costs and most payment agreements. Finally, several payment methods (capitalization and discounted fees) create additional opportunities to succeed in managed care.

Another interesting point for analysis is the evaluation of the MCOs impact on the quality of care. It is usually expected that financial and organizational changes bring positive outcomes in care quality. However, Shi and Singh (2019) admit that certain controversies regarding the relationships between MCOs and care quality exist. On the one hand, financial shifts do not promote great behavioral improvements because physicians face multiple responsibilities for their patients. On the other hand, most managed care plans are associated with cost-effectiveness but not with minorities (racial diversity and socioeconomic status). Therefore, attention should be paid to Medicaid and Medicare, which might reduce expenses and improve the quality of care. Chapter 9 proves that managed care has its pros and cons, and it is wrong to judge the system from a particular perspective but focus on each characteristic and its further contribution to the healthcare sector.

Reference

Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2019). Essentials of the U.S. health care system (5^th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

The New York State Department of Health

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDH) is committed to workforce investment to increase occupational skills, decrease welfare dependency, enhance retention and earnings of its new employees. In turn, the objective of this job guide is to provide all the primary level employees with minimal skills and experience with vital information to make their working efficient. Moreover, most people in junior-level positions are protected by either the Workforce Investment Act or Job Training Partnership Act (Shilling, 2020). Thus, it is vital for the workers to continually get empowerment to build their career path while also contributing positively to the mission and vision of the organization.

The guide uses sub-titles to offer relevant information about the strategies, goals, partnering organizations, and operations parameters. In addition, there is content about the job requirements and competencies for new basic level employees. The goal is to ensure that workers understand the areas they direct and their supervisors. It is vital to know the terms of employment in relation to work visas, disciplinary, compensation, and Occupational Health and Safety Act. There are recommendations with links to other resources to build upon the basic facts. Therefore, reading the guideline is the best way to start work and remain effective even within the first days.

The expectation from the department is that after reading the guideline, new employees get competencies in business operations of the department of health, teamwork, and customer services within the job scope. With such empowerment, it is easy to develop confidence while working and ask relevant questions to enhance job performance (Verlinden, 2021). Workers will gain knowledge to respond to customers when they ask preliminary questions that do not necessarily require referrals to the higher offices. Moreover, the guide is a resource that the employees should keep for future reference even as they continue to align their ethics with organizational values.

New York Demographics

The New York state is one of the original colonies located in the northeastern part of the country. A census report for 2020 reveals that it has a population of at least 20.2 million, representing a 4.1% growth rate from 2010 (DiNapoli, 2020). There are nine regions, including Capital District, Long Island, Central New York, Finger Lakes, North Country, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Mid-Hudson, and Western New York (DiNapoli, 2020). The majority of people live in New York City, which has 8 million of citizens, while the area with the lowest number of residents is North Country which has 412,924 individuals (DiNapoli, 2020). The public health issue of concern in the population is birthed by teenagers, which the department is working to mitigate. There are 12 cities, of which those within the metropolitan include Schenectady, Troy, Syracuse, Albany, Rochester, Buffalo, and Albany. Understanding the population distribution is crucial in the allocation of resources and distribution of workers to ensure that the organization addresses all the public health concerns equitably.

It is also important to note that the New York state is diverse, having people across all the ethnic and age groups represented in the United States. Expectedly, most people are whites, followed by blacks, although from 2010 to 2020, they declined by 6.2% and 0.9% (DiNapoli, 2020). The Hispanic or Latino, Asian, and those from mixed or other races have increased, implying that the society is becoming more multicultural. As an employee in the health department, it is vital to understand health disparities across the different communities. Some public health concerns have been the disparities in African Americans and other minority ethnic groups disproportionally affected by Covid-19 and chronic diseases.

Overview of the Population Health Improvement Program

The health department is divided into many programs based on geographic jurisdiction or roles. The population health improvement program (PHIP) program focuses on better care, peoples wellness, and cost-effective measures (NYSDH, 2022b). One of the strategic plans is health insurance for various groups of people (NYSDH, 2022). Remarkably, the department collaborates with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure that all pregnant women, children, veterans, and citizens of low socio-economic status get access to affordable healthcare. In addition, the program works to promote livelihood and quality of life through some supportive actions. For instance, some funds are directed toward regional fish advisory, lead poisoning prevention, and obesity prevention (NYSDH, 2022). The organization works to serve all people who are either permanently living within the state or visiting.

Employees working in the department must have knowledge of the basic understanding of operations and coordination of PHIP. The department collects county-level data for 18 areas of focus, including demographics and socio-economic characteristics, tobacco consumption, family planning, nutrition, physical fitness, and activities (NYSDH, 2022). Information on unintentional injuries, violent and abusive behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, infectious disease, immunization, maternal and infant health, as well as chronic conditions like cancer is of interest (Albany County, New York, 2022). The implication is that the department is complex and involves efforts from a multi-sectoral agency. All the activities are primarily within the perimeters of Albany County. The operations of the program are complementary to the strategic objectives of the department.

Programs Goals and Missions

The NYSDH operates within precepts that ensure all initiatives meet the goals of the department. Notably, the overall mission of the PHIP is to protect, enhance, and promote productivity, wellbeing, and health of all the residents of the state (NYSDH, 2022). The implication is that all the plans, whether long-term or on preliminary, fall in one of the mentioned areas of operations. It is the vision of the department that New Yorkers become top worldwide in matters of health. Specifically, the mandate of the department is to ensure that the communities where people live promote health through threat eradication, quality, and cost-effective services as well as evidence-based practice. The core values that guide the NYSDH include innovation, public good, integrity, excellence, efficiency, and teamwork.

The aim of the program is to improve the health status of individuals, communities, and families while utilizing strategies that minimize disparities and increase equity in wellness. The program operates under the prevention agenda 2013-2017 and the state health innovation plan (SHIP). It achieves the objective through the implementation of four specific goals. Firstly, the department prevents chronic and communicable illnesses, disabilities, and injuries (Albany County, New York, 2022). Secondly, it protects against hazards in the environment to ensure that people work and stay in good surroundings. Thirdly, it works to promote all activities that make people in the community achieve better quality of life. Fourthly, the program prepares strategies that ensure prompt response and coordination of public health emergencies.

To work as a basic-level employee in the health program, there are some core skills, knowledge, and competencies that a person must have. The minimum educational requirement is tenth grade because it ensures workers have basic skills like writing and reading. Working within the department of health mandates that a person can utilize resources to continually develop their knowledge base. It is also important that the successful candidate is committed to bests practices by adhering to the ethical and moral standards, teamwork, active in self-education, and ability to handle crises without breaking down (Mcconnell, 2018). The department relies on all employees to perform duties in a quality and professional manner. Knowledge of the policy and regulations is also key in ensuring enhanced performance. The world is adopting digitalization in all sectors, which implies that the successful candidates must have some knowledge in health information technology. There will be ongoing performance measurement and evaluation to ensure that all workers remain competent.

Job Requirements for Basic Level Employees

In alignment with the labor laws, all employees must be a legal adult with the correct identification information. Particularly, they should have a minimum of eighteen years as indicated in their birth certificates and not exceed seventy years which is way past the retirement age. Immigrant workers need to have a temporary work permit if they have not gained citizenship to the country. It is also vital for the person to be able to communicate in writing and speak using English, which is the official language. The other key competency is that the person should have basic knowledge of first aid and the overview of the healthcare goals. The health department is an equal employer and never discriminate applicants based on race, gender, disability, sex, or marital status.

Partnership

The health program does not operate as an island as it depends on the support, cooperation, and coordination from other agencies to execute its mandate. The PHIP partners are categorized as advocacy organizations, healthcare consumers, insurance companies, including CMS, local human service agencies, schools and institutions of higher education, unions, housing authorities, and business communities (NYSDH, 2022). The insurers are an essential agency as they provide funding to help patients from lower socio-economic levels access free healthcare. Other institutions, such as the universities, are effective in researching to inform evidence-based practice. Moreover, improving health partnerships with real-estate personnel is vital in ensuring affordable housing to reduce the number of homeless people (NYSDH, 2022). The local transport authorities are also engaged to help in logistics when carrying relief food and vaccinations to the community. Partnership with the professional body of nurses, physicians, mental-health experts, and other professionals is also effective in promoting healthy activities.

There are several lead organizations that PHIP works with to execute core objectives to promote a healthy population. The top firms include Healthy Capital District Initiative, Taconic Health Information Network and Community, HealtheConnections, Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, and The Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital (NYSDH, 2022b). Other companies that top that list are P2 Collaborative of Western New York, Fund for Public Health in New York, Adirondack Health Institute, Southern Tier HealthLink, and Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization (NYSDH, 2022b). Notably, the organizations represent each region to enhance communication and coordination in all areas.

Resources

Suggested Online Training

• Web.
• Public health online training. Web.

References

Albany County, New York. (2022). Department of health. Web.

DiNapoli, T. P. (2021). 2020 Census: Municipal Population Shifts in New York State. State of New York Comptroller. Web.

Mcconnell. (2018). The effective health care supervisor. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

New York State Department of Health. (2022). Official Website. Web.

New York State Department of Health. (2022b). Population health improvement program. Web.

Shilling, D. (2020). Complete guide to human resources and the law (21st ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). New York State population topped 20 million in 2020. Census.gov. Web.

Verlinden, N. (2021). Upskilling: A full guide (incl. 7 ways to upskill your workforce). AIHR. Web.

Introduction

Social determinants of health refer to conditions where individuals are born, live, grow, or work. These consist of factors such as education, socioeconomic status, and employment, among others. A reflective model recommended by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia can help to thoroughly review the SDH. For instance, employment is a social determinant of health of both physical and psychological health. It directly impacts life quality, life expectancy as well as medical care expenses. Working for extended periods can increase the danger of heart conditions, depression, and stroke. Additionally, it decreases productivity and can cause poor cognitive performance. The paper aims to explore employment as a social determinant of health.

Description of Social Determinants of Health Using Reflective Model

Through questions such as what, so what, and now what, the reflective model guides the personal as well as situational analysis. It aids in a better understanding of how different factors affect peoples wellbeing. For instance, in the case of socioeconomic status, it is a basic cause of health disparities since it embodies various resources that protect wellbeing regardless of major factors of morbidity and mortality. According to World Health Organization (2011), examples include knowledge, money, power, prestige, and important social links. Individuals with low incomes are more probably to be recipients of Medicaid or sometimes uninsured, seek medical attention less often or do that only during an emergency.

Education is a social determinant that is strongly related to morbidity, life expectancy, and health behaviors. According to World Health Organization (2011), attainment of education plays a significant role in health in employment, shaping opportunities, and income. According to World Health Organization (2011), when ones level is low, there is a high chance of poor health, shorter survival when unhealthy, and shorter life expectancy. The proof behind its significance as a determinant of health is among the most convincing.

Neighborhood and physical environment impact the health of a person. It means where people reside, learn, play as well as work. Individuals interact with their physical surroundings via the air they inhale, the houses in which they live, the water they consume, and the transportation they use for traveling (Rolfe et al., 2001). According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2017), pollutants in the environment can lead to medical issues such as heart conditions, respiratory illnesses, and numerous types of cancer. Low-income earners are more probably to reside in polluted places and thus, have unsafe drinking water.

Social support network influences health and comprises family, peers, and friends. It can lead to positive physical and emotional health and aid in dealing with stress (NMBA, 2015). According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2018), a high level of social support can impact medical outcomes positively via psychological and behavioral pathways. It can help to maintain healthy gains one has made, resulting in a healthy lifestyle.

Review of Employment

Difficulty of Refugees to Access Employment

The chosen social determinant of health is employment, and the selected vulnerable group is a refugee group who has arrived in Australia in the last ten years. Individuals who need protection are most probable to have undergone torture and trauma, destitution as well as extended periods in refugee campgrounds (Karlsen, 2016). This means that they may not be in good condition to work. There is a greater chance that they possess psychological and physical issues that make it hard for them to get and sustain jobs (Karlsen, 2016). Additionally, they encounter challenges such as limited English, which makes it difficult to be viewed as fit for particular jobs.

Impact of Unemployment on Health of the Refugees

As suggested earlier, employment, as well as income, directly influence health care expenditure, quality of life, and life expectancy. The connection between health and money a person earns is shown in numerous ways, which all lead to a similar conclusion (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). The poorer an individual is, the less healthy they are, and the more probable they are to die in youth (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). Twenty-two percent of those with a yearly income of below thirty-five thousand dollars report being ill more often in contrast to only five percent of people earning above one hundred thousand every year (Karlsen, 2016). Unemployed youth with higher education degrees have the lowest wellbeing. Additionally, eighty-three percent of fired employees have a higher chance of contracting stress-associated conditions.

Employment status is usually a factor in alternatives for medical insurance. Comprehending the various ways in which it affects health care coverage is a step in exploring chances for the labor force and the industry to cooperate (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). Coverage benefit design and eligibility fluctuate based on the health care payer. For individuals who have medical insurance provided via their employers, the latter determines the type, advantages as well as wellness programs. The majority of them find ways to better working conditions of workers to ensure improved health. Being unemployed means that the refugees miss such opportunities.

How Nurses Can Improve Employability of Refugees

English Classes

It is important that the nurses choose to educate the refugees on better use of English language to improve their proficiency. In Australia, it is difficult for an individual to get employed if they cannot fluently express themselves in English (Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018). The reason for this is due to their inability to communicate with other people, especially those giving them instructions. Therefore, making English speaking and writing classes available to them would be beneficial for increasing their employability.

Qualifications

Nurses can ensure that they create programs that support the attainment of the work qualifications in Australia. It is known that they may be complex and expensive to obtain (Ziersch et al., 2020). Having those working in the nation already can aid in shaping the refugees for various areas in the employment industry. For instance, one cannot be an architect in the country without passing different tests (Ziersch et al., 2020). The nurses can provide knowledge or create an initiative other professionals can help refugees to understand the type of skills required.

Why NMBA Includes Reflective Practice Within Standards of Practice

Nurses should embrace the reflective practice recommended by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia as it raises self-awareness. This is regarded as the main component of emotional intelligence. It aids in an improved comprehension of other peoples issues. Additionally, it can assist in developing creative thinking capabilities and promotes active engagement in work procedures. By using it to assess employment as a social determinant, it aids in obtaining information on how unemployment can result in insufficient funds. This, in turn, results in poor health due to malnutrition.

Conclusion

The paper has explored employment as a social determinant of health. It has shown that it is important for nurses to find ways to help vulnerable groups in the society regarding factors that influence their health, for example, employment. Lastly, using the reflective practice approach has been seen to be useful as it helps to obtain detailed information that is vital in decision-making. Through reviewing how employment affects health, it is obvious why individuals in a refugee group are at risk of diseases. Unemployment means that there is no income earned, and thus, when an individual becomes sick, they are in danger of succumbing to conditions such as malnutrition.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2018). 4.2 Social determinants of health.

Karlsen, E. (2016).Refugee resettlement to Australia: what are the facts?  Parliament of Australia. Aph.gov.au.

NMBA. (2015).Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia  Framework for assessing standards for practice for registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives. Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2017). Registered Nurse Standards for Practice. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

World Health Organization. (2011). Closing the gap: Policy into practice on social determinants of health: Discussion paper, 1-56.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., & Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions a users guide.

Taylor, J., & Lamaro Haintz, G. (2018). Influence of the social determinants of health on access to healthcare services among refugees in Australia.Australian Journal of Primary Health, 24(1), 14.

Ziersch, A., Miller, E., Baak, M., & Mwanri, L. (2020). Integration and social determinants of health and wellbeing for people from refugee backgrounds resettled in a rural town in South Australia: A qualitative study.BMC Public Health, 20(1).

Public health nursing as a career is concerned with the general well-being of populations. The general role of a public health nurse is the promotion of the well-being of persons as far as health is concerned by use of the knowledge of nursing, social sciences, as well as public health sciences.

Due to the broadness of this role, public health nurses are expected to promote health in various categories which defines the individual roles of a public health nurse. Although the overall objective of the public health nursing profession is the promotion of the public health, the approaches employed by a public health nurse who works in a school environment differs form the roles of a public health nurse who works in a parish or in a health facility. The paper will examine the roles of public health nursing in schools and in the community.

The first role of a public health nurse in a school is to promote the overall health of the school population (Lancaster, 2008, pp 1043). A public health nurse who works in a school environment helps in the overall promotion of health by helping in health policy formulation at the school level.

This way, public health nurses in school environments as well as in other working environments provide vital inputs to all interdisciplinary programs tasked with the roles of evaluation, monitoring and anticipation of various health problems in order to formulate formidable responses to health challenges. The nurses are also expected to evaluate the environmental health challenges that may affect the area of operation.

Public health nurses in schools are also expected to promote childrens health through the observance of childrens behavior and further advice on the best approaches that can improve their health. Some of the practices that the public health nurses that work in schools are expected to accomplish includes the coordination of immunization programs both at school level and to coordinate with local communities to ensure that the children who are of the school going age are immunized.

School based public health nurses are usually employed by school districts or by other relevant school management board. However, the use of school district as the principal employing unit is higher than it is done by other employers. School-based nurses can also be staffed through the family nurse practitioner program. The main mission of all organizations that hires school based community health nurses is to improve the overall health positions of the school going children (Lundy & Janes, 2009, pp 76).

Another category of community health nurse is the community oriented nurse and consultant. Community-oriented nurse and consultant have the role of a change agent. They are also expected to offer their advice to various stakeholders to ensure that the community is running in a way that is agreeable to the goals of community health nursing (Lancaster, 2008, pg 1017).

It is the role of a public health nurse in the community to promote the application of health sciences as well as the knowledge of social sciences through relevant interventions (Lancaster, 2008, pg 1012). They also integrate their community of practice into programs that would promote their understanding of health issues especially by the aid of family experiences. As change agents, they champion the desired change at their community of practice hence promoting the overall well-being of the society.

The organization that registers community health nurses is the American Public Health Association where aspiring members are expected to complete the relevant courses, pass the entry exams and pay the required subscription amount for membership. Once a person joins, he/she is expected to adhere to the codes of professional conduct of the organization and remain professional while offering services.

Currently, the organization has over 50,000 health professions. It also boasts as the oldest organization of health professionals. The vision of this organization is to have A Healthy Global Society while its mission is to Improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status (American Public Health Association, 2011 para 3 and 4).

In conclusion, it is evident that public health nurses play a vital role in the promotion of overall health of the populations. Although the overall objective of public health nurses is to improve the overall health of the populations, each category of health nurses has its own area of interest which makes the approaches employed by each of the approaches different. The subdivision of public health nursing is vital in that it helps in the overall performance of the public health nurses.

References

American Public Health Association. (2011). American Public Health Association : Overview. Web.

Lancaster, S., M. (2008). Community and Public Health Nursing. 7^th Ed. St. Louis: Mosby.

Lundy, K., S. & Janes S. (2009). Community health nursing: caring for the publics health. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Introduction

Empowering individuals or groups gives people the ability to accomplish a specific objective. According to Warner (1988), empowerment is a process by which disadvantaged individuals work collaboratively to increase control over conditions that affect their lives (p.8). Empowerment embodies the notion that something must arise from inside someone or group which is not given.

The concept of empowerment can take two perspectives. Often health promoters tend to view empowerment as a process for accomplishing an objective. Secondly, it can be perceived as an outcome, which is specific to the individual, group or community concerned. Usually, it takes a long period before the outcomes of community empowerment begins to show (Laverack 2005, p.3). This conviction must form an important component in the design of health promotion programmes.

Strategies

Community empowerment develops from individual to group, and embodies the objective to trigger social and political transformation in support of the community that embarks on the course. Health promoters can best consider this process as a continuum signifying progressively more arranged and broadly based modes of social and joint actions (Laverack 2005, p.4). The preceding paragraphs discuss strategies for community empowerment viewed as a five-point continuum.

Empowering individuals

Empowering individual members for personal action requires participation in small interest groups to analyze and act on issues of concern. Regarding health promotion, the developing stage of a program through definition of needs, defines the basis for individual involvement. Thus, according to Laverack, it is necessary that programs employ approaches to build a structure and a personal way forward towards joint action (2005, p.4). However, if health practitioners only target the individual, they risk personalizing the issue and if they only target structural issues, they run the risk of overlooking the direct need of many individuals.

The establishment of small interest groups

The concerned individuals developing a small group usually mark the beginning of collective action. This phase offers opportunity for health supporters to help individuals acquire skills and develop stronger social support structures, opportunity networks, social cohesions and interpersonal connectedness.

The responsibility of the health practitioner at this phase is to mobilize people in small groups about their live issues using an approach that is not too decisive. These groups include the following as explored by Laverack (2005, p.4):

1. Self-help groups based on a particular concern: Members of self-help groups often have a common interest and knowledge of the issue, are participatory and supportive and often organized and managed by the members;
2. Community health groups that collaborate to campaign for a particular issue including, environmental pollution or transport needs of socially marginalised groups affecting the community;
3. Community development health projects including neighbourhood-centred projects setup to address problems of local concern including poor housing that is supported by government and a paid community health worker.

However, conflict concerning internal issues may arise during a transformation from self-help to a social action orientation. Problem evaluation can help to address conflict and expand capacity when the community undertakes the definition of problems, answers to the problem and intervention to resolve the problems. When the community lacks in skill, the responsibility of the practitioner will be to help the community assess its own problems. Importantly, health supporters should be ready to listen to the views of the community regardless of their position on the matter, and they must be dedicated to progressing and developing these issues.

Community organizations

Community organizations systems include associations, cooperatives, community councils, youth groups and faith groups. They provide small groups with opportunity to make transitions to partnerships and subsequently to social and political action. Community organizations enable individuals to be more critically aware of the overall issues affecting the community besides learning the skills for evaluating their immediate problems.

Paulo Freire developed the strategies for increasing knowledge of the broader social and political problems that affect the determinants of health. He argued that an understanding of the basic causes of powerlessness is a determinant characteristic of empowerment and approaches to develop this proficiency in health promotion entails photo choice (Wang and Pies 2004).

The establishment of an effective community organization relies on strong local leadership skill. Goodman, Speers, McLeroy, Fawcett, Kegler, Parker, Rathgeb, Sterling, and Grace (1991), argued that, a varied approach in the community involving positional leader, who have been appointed and the reputational leaders, who informally serve the community, is more likely to enhance community capacity.

Partnerships

Linking with other groups having a common interest increases community organizations efficacy in effecting higher-level policy decision making. Community organizations, through partnership, can reinforce social networks, enhance participation in the concerns of other member organizations, and increase competitiveness for limited resources.

Partnership allows community organizations to extend past their local concerns and to assume a stronger position on general concerns through advocacy and networking. The significant empowerment issue is to maintain focus on the common interest that binds the groups, but not on the individual concerns of the members in the partnership.

Social and political action

When concerned individuals are maintained in small groups, they might not resolve the event accountable for their powerlessness. Likewise, when individuals engage in conventional methods of lobbying via community organization and partnership development devoid of political action, they might fail to compel authorities concerned with political and economic decisions to listen.

Gaining authority to influence ideological, social, political, and economic change will unavoidably engage the community in a struggle with the authorities. A health-supporting agency, in a programme context, will become handy in helping communities develop capacity, helping others empower themselves, and providing resources.

Conclusion

These strategies can help health promoters to achieve success in their efforts to empower members of the community. These strategies can be categorized into addressing community issues; developing partnership, building community capacity; and exchange of ideas and visions between stakeholders.

Reference list

Goodman, M., Speers, A., McLeroy, K., Fawcett, S., Kegler, M., Parker, E., Rathgeb, S., Sterling, D., & Grace, V.M., 1991. The marketing of empowerment and the construction of the health consumer: a critique of health promotion. International Journal of Health Services, 21(2), pp.329-43.

Laverack, G., 2005. Empowerment. Geneva: TDR.

Wang, C.C., & Pies, C.A., 2004. Family, maternal and child health through Photovoice. Maternal and child health journal, 8(2), pp.95-102.

Warner, D., 1988. Empowerment and Health. Christian Medical Commission 102, 1-9.

The use of probability in public health hospitals as a means to protect and promote public health has become a rising epidemic in society today. The basis for using probability in public health hospitals is the usage of common sense and causal reasoning. Whether to save time and attend to a large number of patients or just out of sheer ignorance, basing the patients description on the pattern and frequency of the health events in a given population does not guarantee 100% results.

There are three characteristics of probability, place, person, and time. Probability-based on place includes things like the environment that one is usually located, geographical violation, and urban-rural difference. While on the other hand, the probability of a personal characteristic by demographic factors such as occupation, race, age, sex, socioeconomic, and marital status (Peck & Devore, 2012). The probability of time is characterized by, hourly, daily, a seasonal or annual occurrence. Based on these characterizations, medical practitioners feel they can effectively prescribe a suitable dose for a patient.

In public health practices, when doctors use terms that seem rather obscure instead of basing findings on facts that is when a patient may know that the doctor is using probability.

Or example if someone who smokes enters the doctors office with a persistent cough or having difficulties in breathing, the doctor may use the knowledge that is known and end up prescribing something like lung cancer. They would probably feel that since the hospital is public, and most patients cannot afford to pay properly for the medical care, then it would be a waste of both time and energy to do the research. According to Wallis famous quotes, statistics may be defined as a body of methods for making wise decisions in the face of uncertainty.

Using statistics and probability as in practice in public health may cause a problem when applied to individuals in a clinical setting. The reason behind it is, the patients in a clinical setting would be prescribed the same medication.

In some cases, this would be Ok, but the same way the medical practitioner feels that there is a probability of those from the same population suffering from the same illness, there could also be a probability that they do not. This may cause problems to those who have a different ailment as it may take longer to be discovered or worse still may not be discovered at all. This puts life in danger and the medical industry to have a offensive name.

Different bodies in the clinical department have different task that they perform. MD, RN, therapist, pharmacists, and public health practitioner deal with different things in the clinical department. For example, the task performed by a pharmacist and a public health practitioner totally differ. A pharmacist provides prescribed medicines, assess the prescription if it is correct and dispense the medication in accordance with the training that they have obtained.

They should advice the patients about the selected dosage and the side effect that it contains. At the same time, they should analyze how the patient is progressing while consuming the medication. Public health practitioner on the other hand, is the one who takes the patient and analyze the illness they have. They also provide diagnosis, preventive health care service and therapeutic assistance (Turnock, 2006).

Probability can be applied in public health by basing facts to a group rather than an individual (Rothstein, 2003). Probability theories create inferential statistics, which has become the main source of information and data in public hospitals. Public health has been based with what the doctors know and what they want to know.

References

Peck, R., & Devore, J. L. (2012). Statistics: The exploration and analysis of data. Boston, MA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Turnock, B. J. (2006). Public health: Career choices that make a difference. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Rothstein, W. G. (2003). Public health and the risk factor: A history of an uneven medical revolution. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.