public health

Date

Time

Hours

Discussion of Activity

Reflections

Learning Value

4/2/12

10am-

6pm

8

Study about epidemiology and the epidemiological approach to public health nursing.

After a detailed study of epidemiology, I felt that epidemiology is a key concept or framework in public health as it helps in indentifying a pattern of health state or disease, understanding the identified pattern and providing interventions for the identified health problems.

Learned about different epidemiological terms such as mortality rate, morbidity rate, epidemic, endemic, occurrence rate and attack rate. I also learned about the roles of nurses in epidemiologic surveillance such as collecting data and reporting significant changes in disease prevalence to the appropriate health authorities. Nurses also use epidemiological data in providing evidence-based approach to public health nursing

4/5/12

9am-

4pm

7

Study and did web search about different levels of preventions and their importance in public health

Understanding of the three levels of preventions, namely primary, secondary and tertiary preventions, has further solidified my belief that prevention is better than cure. I felt that robust prevention measures such as health education and promotion, immunizations, health screening and early diagnosis of diseases are the keys to reducing the ballooning healthcare cost and achieving the goals of healthy people 2020.

Learned about primary level of prevention such immunization, health education and promotion, secondary level of prevention such health screening for breast cancer or diabetes, and tertiary level of prevention such as rehabilitation for people with stroke. I also learned about the roles of nurses in promoting the health of individuals and community through health education and empowerments.

4/7/12

10am-

4pm

6

Web search to identify the threats to Englewood community’s objectives of healthy people 2020

My research on the threats to Englewood community’s goal of healthy people 2020 made me believe that the community is faced with the interlocking or interacting problems of poverty and high crime rate. I also felt that a comprehensive intervention that takes into consideration both of the above threats is the key to achieving the community’s objective of healthy people 2020.

Learned about the threats to Englewood community such as poverty, high crime rates, and intense competition from other Chicago’s communities for resources.

4/10/12

9am-

5pm

8

Study and search the web about community as a client in public health nursing

After my reading on community as a client I now believe that the key to an effective public health measure is a detailed assessment of the community in terms of its health status, structure and function. I believed that both individual and population health are greatly influenced by the social environments or community’s characteristics such as culture and values.

Learned about a community as a group of people that has one or more common characteristic, usually geography, and shares a common goal. Learned that the health beliefs of individuals or populations are influenced by the community’s culture, beliefs, social values and norms.

4/11/12

11am-

2pm

3

Completed and posted papers on the discussion board on health assessment

The case study on Duxbury county let me realized that a proper assessment of the public health of any community requires not only an analysis of its health status but also a detailed examinations of the community’s infrastructures such as roads and transportation services. I realized that a holistic approach is also required in public health nursing.

Learned that defining a community’s boundary is the first step in its assessment in order to determine the factors that are internal or external to the community. I learned about different sources of data collection during a community assessment such as vital statistics from the public health departments, windshield surveys, telephone or traditional questionnaire surveys, interview with key informants and web research.

4/13/12

10am-

2pm

4

Visited Englewood health clinic center at 63rd and Union in Chicago for interviews and information about threats to the health of the community

My visit to Englewood health clinic was very helpful and exciting as the staffs readily welcomed me and shared information about the health threats to the community.

Learned more above the threats to the community’s health objectives. Among the threats identified are poverty, high crime rate, children growing up in single family homes with no father role models, and unsafe sexual behaviors.