25 Jan Public Heath Nursing’s (PHN) role in this public health issue is directly in the arena, with the population.
Please respond to a minimum of 2 peers. Include in your response the following:
Ask a peer an open-ended question about their described problem (based on their chosen scenario).
Compare your explanation of why it would be difficult to solve the presented problem at the individual level to theirs.
Comment on the problem in their community.
Evaluate their plan to use community nursing rather than clinical nursing practices to address the problem identified.
Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.
Estimated time to complete: 1.5 hours
Peer 1
Montana Monnens
Yesterday Nov 21 at 11am
Identify which vulnerable population you have chosen to use for this post and describe what this vulnerable population looks like in your community
The population of Scott County Minnesota consists of 153, 268 people (U.S. Census Bureau). Out of the 153,268 people, 11.9% are persons 65 years of age and older (U.S. Census Bureau). In Shakopee, Minnesota, the population is 44,547 people, with 9.2% being 65 years of age and older (U.S. Census Bureau). This population is an important yet vulnerable part of the community in which we live. By the year 2040, it is predicted that the number of older adults is expected to reach 80.8 million, by 2060 it will reach 94.7 million, making up nearly 25% of the United States population (CDC, 2022). It is important to focus on this vulnerable population since they will be such a large portion of the United States in the future.
Discuss an identified public health issue based on your chosen population
The public health issue based on the elderly population that I would like to focus on is the aging and progression of disabilities. As a public health nurse, it is important to intervene in order to help with the aging process and promote physical activity in order to reduce risk of pain or dementia.
Discuss 3 ways public health nursing can intervene to address this problem. Utilize current literature to support the relevance of your interventions
The first way that a public health nurse can intervene or address this problem is by educating this population about the importance of exercise in order to reduce pain, and help with dementia. By educating these clients, we are providing opportunities for them to gain knowledge on the topic in order to contribute to their health status. The second way that a public health nurse can help is to promote physical activity programs (CDC, 2022). With the promotion of activity groups, such as walking, bicycling, and swimming it can improve function, mood, and overall quality of life for this population (CDC, 2022). The third way that a public health nurse can intervene is by developing and implementing additional resources and classes for the elderly in order to be physically active. One program that I can think of is implementing a walking buddy program, where elderly pair with a friend or someone new, and just go for a short walk. This program would provide some physical activity opportunity for the population, and some activity is better than none.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 8). Promoting health for older adults. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/promoting-health-for-older-adults.htm
United States Census Bureau. (2022). Quick Facts Shakopee, Minnesota; Scott County, Minnesota. https://www Links to an external site..census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/shakopeecityminnesota,scottcountyminnesota/PST045221
Peers 2
Erin Benson
9:50amNov 22 at 9:50am
Identify which vulnerable population you have chosen to use for this post and describe what this vulnerable population looks like in your community.
My focus is on the adolescent population and their vulnerabilities. When considering the significant amount of physical and psychological changes that occur during adolescence, it is recognized as an especially difficult period of development (Schechter, 2022). The process of development itself is vulnerable to the stresses and pressures this population encounter through home life, school work, peer interaction, and employment.
Discuss an identified public health issue based on your chosen population.
Significant public health issues exist among the adolescent population. Specifically, depression and attempted suicide among this age group is on the rise, ranking as the second leading cause of death among those 10-14 years of age and third for those 15 years of age and older in 2020 (Bradley & Toole, 2022). The drive behind this is multifactorial and fluid. In recent years, the Covid-19 pandemic has further complicated navigating life for adolescence with the challenges presented by social distancing and fluctuating between online and in-person schooling, as well as interference in regular extracurricular activities. These additional obstacles have resulted in increased vulnerability to affective experiences (Schechter, 2022).
Discuss 3 ways public health nursing can intervene to address this problem. Utilize current literature to support the relevance of your interventions.
Public Heath Nursing’s (PHN) role in this public health issue is directly in the arena, with the population. The PHN needs to be educating the public, assessing for depressive symptoms and risk factors for suicide ideation, and implementing a variety of treatment options including referrals when necessary (Bradley & Toole, 2022). On the frontlines, the PHN is in a prime position to build relationships with their adolescent patients to be able to provide personalized education, to include such topics as signs/symptoms to watch for and self-care interventions. This can be done during patient assessment and interview, while you are determining what signs/symptoms are already present and their severity, another key role for the PHN in addressing this public health issue. Finally, personalized interventions to fit the specific needs of each client are critical for patient safety. This may include participating in mindful exercises with them, helping them have difficult conversations with their parents, or setting up appropriate referrals.
Refernces
Bradley, J., & Toole, K. P. (2022). Adolescent suicide: Are there warning signs? Pediatric Nursing, 48(5), 231-237,247. https://prx-herzing.lirn.net/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/adolescent-suicide-are-there-warning-signs/docview/2728520463/se-2Links to an external site.
Schechter, M. (2022). Suicide and self-harm in adolescents and young adults. Psychiatric Annals, 52(8), 308-309. https://doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20220719-01
