The Purpose of Health Promotion in Nursing Practice and the Nurses roles The World Health Organization, (WHO, 1986), defines health promotion as the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health. As the concept of medicine and health evolved, so has the concept of health promotion. Health care providers including nurses, require an understanding of how economics, environment, culture, education, politics and psychosocial problems influence health, illness, lifestyle and behavior change. Nurses promote health in diverse setting such as hospitals, community, nursing homes, schools, and worksites. Health promotion activities may include raising awareness of health issues, providing information, motivating and persuading people to make changes in their lifestyle or equipping individual with the skills and confidence to make those changes (Naidoo, J. & Wills, ., 2000).
The nurse, being on the frontline of patient care, has the ability based on education and experience, to be the driving force of health promotion activities. Nursing education traditionally directed towards the disease-oriented model, where the focus was on diagnosis, physical health and the relief of physical symptoms. It has now evolved to a more patient-centered model, creating a more holistic approach where individuals and families are empowered to make health decisions and are supported in their engagement of health promotion activities. No longer are patient told what to do and how to do it, they are now part of the decision process and are expected to have full input in plan of care. For example in the hospitals, a nurse discusses with the patient, the goals of the individual plan of care. The patient is asked what is their individual goal surrounding their plan of care. It may not be a medical oriented objective, a patient may just want to see a