Health Promotion
What is health promotion? Our changing health care system is calling for a change in the way we view health. Nurses must shift their focus from teaching patients how to manage illness to teaching people how to be healthy and remain healthy (Chiverton, McCabe Votara, & Tortoretti, 2003). According to The American Journal of Health Promotion, the definition of health promotion in defined as the art and science of helping people discover the synergies between their core passions and optimal health, enhancing their motivation to strive for optimal health, and supporting them in changing their lifestyle to move toward a state of optimal health (The American Journal of Health Promotion Website, 2011).
Nurses play a vital role in health promotion; we have multiple interactions with patients and families everyday in which we can promote health. Teachable moments present themselves at various times and this is where nurses can capitalize on their knowledge and skill as educators and patient advocates to empower people make decisions that promote optimal health (Chiverton et al., 2003). The purpose of health promotion in nursing practice is for the nurse to use the nurse-patient relationship to empower and educate so that the overall population will become aware of the importance of preventing disease rather then treating an illness.
The role of the nurse is evolving from caring for the sick to keeping the population well. Caring for the healthy can very well become more important of a task for a nurse then caring for the sick. As previously stated, nurses will shift their focus to teaching patients how to be healthy and remain healthy. It is the responsibility of the nurse to use every interaction with a patient into an educational intervention (Hartford, 2009).
Implementation of health promotion requires a process similar to that of a nursing care model. First, the need must be identified, through an assessment the nurse is able to identify the needs of a patients in order for them to improve or maintain their health. The use of supporting literature and research is useful in justifying the health promoting actions. Make a formal plan of action; it is easier for patients to follow a plan if it is mapped out. Implement the plan; carry out the actions that have been mapped out. Finally, analyze the outcome; interview the patient to see the progress of the plan (Higham, 2011).
Health promotion is comprised of three levels of prevention: primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary level of prevention is health promotion. The goal of the primary level is to promote behaviors that will maintain the health of the population. Things such as genetic screening, education in nutrition, avoidance of carcinogens, and use of immunizations, along with many others are included in the primary level. The influenza vaccination program is an example of prevention at the primary level. In 2006 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that healthy children ages 6 months to 18 years be immunized against the flu, often times children only receive vaccines at the doctors office until the age of six it was determined that through the use of school located vaccination programs, children who may have never previously been vaccinated for influenza could receive the vaccination regardless of access to medical care (Kansagra, Papadouka, Hansen, Konty, & Zucker, 2014).
The Secondary level of prevention focuses on early detection of disease by use of screenings as well as treating disease in the early stages to delay the consequences of advanced disease (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014, p. 15). Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Colon cancer screening is an example of the secondary level of prevention. It is recommended that people age 50 and older have a colonoscopy for cancer screening, by removing precancerous polyps, colon cancer is completely preventable (Westfall et al., 2013).
The tertiary level of prevention is necessary when a disease or disability has occurred or is irreversible. It involves rehabilitation to restore function (Edelman et al., 2014). Coronary heart disease is a reality for about 14 million men and women in the United States. When someone already has coronary heart disease we can use cardiac rehabilitation as a way to reduce cardiac risk factors, mortality and morbidity, and to improve the quality of life in these patients (Witt et al., 2004).
Having defined levels of prevention help nurses to assist their patients and families at all stages of health. Health promotion will continue to grow and help the population to gain control of the decisions that they make regarding their health. Knowledge is power, and the more opportunities we as nurses take to teach our patients health promoting behaviors the more empowered they will be. References
Chiverton, P. A., McCabe Votara, K., & Tortoretti, D. M. (2003). The Future Role of Nursing in Health Promotion. American Journal of Health Promotion, 18(2), 192-194.
Edelman, C., Kudzma, E., & Mandle, C. (2014). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span (8th ed.). [Vitalsource bookshelf version].
Hartford, J. (2009). The Role of the Nurse in Health Promotion. Retrieved from http://hospitalnews.com/the-role-of-the-nurse-in-health-promotion/
Higham, J. M. (2011). Implementing Health Promotion - A Few Ideas to Make Life Simple. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Implementing-Health-Promotion---A-Few-Ideas-to-Make-Life-Simple&id=6548743
Kansagra, S. M., Papadouka, V., Hansen, M. A., Konty, K. J., & Zucker, J. R. (2014). Reaching Children Never Previously Vaccinated for Influenza Through a School-Located Vaccination Program. American Journal of Public Health, 104(1), e45-e49.
The American Journal of Health Promotion Website. (2011). http://www.healthpromotionjournal.com
Westfall, J. M., Zitterman, L., Sutter, C., Emsermann, C. B., Staton, E. W., Van Vorst, R., & Dickinson, L. M. (2013). Testing to Prevent Colon Cancer: Results From a Rural Community Intervention. Annals Of Family Medicine, 11(6), 500-507.
Witt, B. J., Jacobsen, S. J., Weston, S. A., Killian, J. M., Meverdon, R. A., Allison, T. G., ... Roger, V. L. (2004). Cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction in the community. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 44(5). Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/science/article/pii/S0735109704011428