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DISCUSSION #1

Advanced practice nurses in population health can make a lot of progress in their quest to improve health in the general population. They can engage in the area of sensitizing people on the various forms of health hazards due to Big Tobacco and the suitable protective measures that should be taken. Communication strategies can play an integral role in the improvement of health. Once people are informed about their healthcare, they are more likely to take careful steps in an effort to safeguard it. This deals with the challenge of ignorance. The population is generally more educated hence they are more likely to avoid the tobacco smoking. They are also able to identify critical symptoms hence seek medical intervention as early as possible. People are also more likely to take steps to improve their lifestyle such as regular exercise in an effort to combat lifestyle diseases exacerbated by smoking.

Two possible strategies that nurses can implement are sensitization through media and lobbying politicians. Communication strategies can be used effectively through using public media such as television to broadcast important messages to the public. Another method they can apply is through policy development to allocate specific days whereby walks are organized so that the public can participate in spreading the message about dangers of smoking. However, there are some ways of enhancing the efficacy of these communication methods. One major way is to take advantage of social media. Social media should be used as a tool to educate people on public health measures. This is because most people have smart devices and therefore using technology will make sure that a wider audience is exposed to this important information. This will benefit public health by reducing mortality associated with Big Tobacco.

References

Detels, R. (2011). Oxford textbook of public health. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Truglio-Londrigan, M., & Lewenson, S. B. (2017). Public Health Nursing. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning

DISCUSSION #2

Health Improvement

There are various rising concerns to the continuous intoxication of the environment, leading to more complications each day. One of the main concerns raised concerns tobacco. Tobacco poses a serious challenge in the community, since smoking of cigarettes continues to affect even non-smokers (Ghai, Brown, & Peel, 2015). Some of the main ways of alleviate this problem is by discussing ways to curb the problem in the society.

The major strategy in which advanced practice nurses can help prevent the problem is by massive education of the community on the adverse effects of tobacco, not only to health but also socially.This can be demonstrated by improvising on cigarette designs, showing family members towards the end of the part in the smoker’s mouth, and with each puff, the life of the family members is at risk. Such drawings will arouse a smoker’s sense of responsibility, and tend to take care of family more. Similar campaigns can be staged in smokers’ rooms, where artists could paint graves to indicate the dangers of smoking. In political activism, practicing nurses should advocate for increase in the taxes on tobacco so as to deter importation or consumption by addicts. Sometimes, people smoke due to the affordability of the cigars (Duffy, 2016), but on the absence of the cigar, such people would desist from smoking, or practically reduce the habits.

There are some innovative acts that could substitute for addicts. These could include creating imposter cigars that addicts could use to curb their desires. Through such measures, tobacco consumption would be reduced by a great magnitude, thereby improving the overall health of community members. 

References

Duffy, J. R. (2016). Professional practice models in nursing: Successful health system integration. Ghai, K., Brown, K., & Peel (Ont. : Regional municipality). (2015). Health effects from the use of, and exposure to, tobacco and non-tobacco waterpipes.

discussion #3

Preventing use of tobacco and helping those who utilize it to stop can have continuing benefits for people and for the public health in general. Advanced practice nurses can engage in activism and prevent Big Tobacco from further disabling the health of many communities by developing and implementing tobacco management programs to assist to reduce or prevent the use of tobacco. These programs can make use of taxation, mass-media campaigns, restrictions and easily accessible and effective behavioral analysis and tobacco ending medications. The programs can provide services to different target audiences, including young individuals, people with co morbid health issues, those of different socioeconomic status and ethnicities, and women (Diem & Moyer, 2015). A comprehensive approach to tobacco management results in changes that affect the whole population, from the person to the community level, by addressing the social, political economic, cultural and environmental aspects that sustain the using and not using of tobacco.

Another way that advanced practice nurses can engage in activism and prevent Big Tobacco from further disabling the health of many communities is through the use of Evidence-based best practices for tobacco control (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). Programs for tobacco control reduce use of tobacco at the populace level by building tobacco-free outdoor and indoor areas, limiting the access of young people to tobacco products, restricting tobacco marketing, having continuous counter marketing campaigns, increasing the price of tobacco products, and offering easily available tobacco termination services and products.

References

Diem, E. & Moyer, A. (2015). Community and public health nursing: learning to make a difference through teamwork. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press.

Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J. (2014). Public health nursing: population-centered health care in the community. Maryland Heights, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.

DISCUSSION #4

Tobacco use is a major factor to the millions of deaths known worldwide owing to the deadly diseases such as lung and oral cancer, among others. One of the most important of the APNs recommendations for the smoking community is a call to lead by example in fighting the tobacco epidemic. Largely because of increased use of tobacco in the developing world, the global burden of cancer is projected to increase dramatically in the next few years (Laverack, 2013). As in clinical medicine, good public health practice demands that rigorously evaluated evidence guide the adoption of new tobacco control interventions. 

Although many smoking bans are currently in place around the globe, and some can be enforced even with limited resources, many people remain at risk from secondhand smoke, especially in densely populated nations that lack public smoking bans or fail to enforce them (Hanna, 2013). Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) poses complications from exposure including an increased risk of respiratory infections, and long-term exposure to high levels of ETS may increase the risk of pulmonary complications or cardiovascular disease (Hanna, 2013). Thus, smoking habits imposed by others in households of patients are of significant consequence. APNs can provide interventions that include more intensive late-effects risk counseling, educational videos, goal setting, smoking literature and follow-up telephone counseling. 

Because of nurses' numbers, class status, political capital, and moral authority in society, APNs are the group of health professionals whose voices are needed urgently at this historical moment to help avert the global tobacco epidemic (Laverack, 2013). An ANP group involved in activism against the tobacco industry can apply findings from research on the industry to engage lobbyists in tobacco control activism, research, and education. Speaking to these officials with researched evidence can influence them to further impose smoking restrictions, or help expand ANP community programs that teach in schools, community centers and support groups that may even provide smoking cessation products (Laverack, 2013).

                                                            Reference:

Hanna, N. (2013). Helping Patients Quit Tobacco: ASCOs Efforts to Help Oncology Care Specialists. Journal of Oncology Practice, 9(5), 263-264. doi:10.1200/jop.2013.001026

Laverack, G. (2013). Health activism: foundations and strategies. Sage.