Preventive Nursing Prevention is the origin of, as well as a fundamental component of community health nursing. Throughout the life cycle, from infancy to old age, preventive activities in a variety of fields of community health care are indispensable for a life of high quality.
So we welcome public health nurses and health care professionals who wish to learn the methods to elucidate health promoting factors or health deteriorating factors, such as lifestyle or socio-cultural background. The program includes evidence-based preventive activities and health care, and networks and systems for preventive activities, the framing policy for the purpose of building a healthy community and promoting health of community residents. They also help to keep people active and productive in society.
Preventable chronic illnesses can keep people away from work, with illnesses such as obesity, high blood pressure and asthma being particularly costly to the economy in terms of lost workdays. The CDC fact sheet also stated that preventative health care is an effective way to help seniors stay as healthy as possible into an advanced age — a period when the risk of chronic conditions increases.
In a study published by the U. National Library of Medicine, Patricia Chiverton et al hightlights the importance for nursing professional working on the frontlines of patient care to aid with preventative health care efforts. Nurses achieve this primarily through the dissemination of information that patients can harness to keep themselves as healthy as possible.
The authors note that the growing emphasis on preventative health care differs somewhat from historical nursing practice, which previously was centered almost exclusively on disease management. Nursing staff can help advance preventative health care efforts in a number of ways, with some of the most impactful including the following:.
According to Hospital News, one of the most fundamental ways that nurses assist in preventative health efforts is through education. Nurses are qualified to talk to patients about a range of health-related topics, from nutrition and exercise, to other forms of disease prevention like practicing safe sex and refraining from drugs and excessive alcohol use. Education can be delivered in a number of ways and in many contexts.
Nursing professionals may choose to host informational sessions about particular topics, or they may pass on written educational materials to patients, such as brochures and links to online resources. The Hospital News article also cited a study that explained how nurses can use patient visits as an opportunity to initiate preventative health discussions.
If a patient comes in with joint pain, a nurse can initiate a conversation about how excess weight can exacerbate pain before introducing weight management strategies. If a young patient seeks medical assistance with a chronic cough, a nurse can seize the moment to initiate a conversation about smoking cessation.
Nursing staff essentially can promote health information and wellness strategies whenever they meet patients, helping disseminate important health information in the wider community. The second most important aspect of preventative health is providing information about strategies for better health, as well as facilitating any necessary screenings.
For example, patients with a family history of heart disease should be encouraged to receive routine cholesterol and blood pressure testing, and nurses should offer advice about how exercise and good nutrition can help support heart health.
Another demographic that tends to need more preventative health guidance is the population of older adults, as they are at a statistically higher risk for a range of chronic conditions, including diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis. Kasdorf explained that it is common for patients to remain uncertain or in the dark as to the kinds of services they are entitled to under their health plans.
Consequently, many miss out on vital preventative services, such as cancer screenings, blood testing and immunizations.
Nurses are able to counsel patients on the details of their health plans and help connect individuals with the services they need and are entitled to.
Read our guide to learn the various types, methods, and issuers. Preventive care, also known as prophylaxis or preventive medicine, is anticipating a disease and treating it before it occurs. Examples of preventive treatments include educating patients on diet and exercise, providing immunizations, encouraging the intake of vitamins and supplements, and even prescribing certain medications. Lifestyle changes can improve immunity and mitigate risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, and other ailments.
There are many warning signs a doctor or nurse might observe during a regularly scheduled checkup or routine screenings and tests. Scheduling regular checkups, even if a person feels healthy, allows doctors to check for the earliest signs of heart disease hypertension and high cholesterol , diabetes hyperglycemia , sexually transmitted diseases like HIV , certain cancers, and osteoporosis, among other diseases.
Genetic testing can also help medical professionals tell if a person is predisposed to certain cancers, genetic disorders, or other diseases. Read more about them below. The first step in disease prevention is the spread of knowledge. This work is primarily done by trained nurses and nurses with a more advanced skill set and education, such as those who have earned an advanced nursing degree like the options offered online by Maryville University. These nurses educate patients about the most beneficial health behaviors and types of preventive healthcare.
Utilizing these day-to-day resources, as well as those available from a physician or healthcare provider, can help you lead a healthier life. This method of preventive care is more patient-focused. If a weakness is found, treatment begins to prevent the onset of the disease. Secondary prevention is also used to stop the spread of contagious diseases by testing whether a patient is infected or at a high risk of infection before symptoms appear.
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