J.R. is a nurse practitioner who serves an urban Chinese community. The challenges she faces daily include coordinating health care for the community members, fostering compliance with treatment regimens, and teaching the community about health prevention and early detection of diseases and conditions.
J.R. has learned that one of the main reasons the community members do not adhere to their treatment regimens is because of mistrust of Western medicine. Many of the patients are older adults who rely on homeopathic treatments they learned in China as children. These patients prefer to take Chinese herbs in lieu of prescription medications. Additionally, these patients do not like to attend health screenings or take part in immunization clinics because they do not believe these measures are beneficial to their health
Questions
What type of prevention J.R. is trying to achieve when she encourages her patient population to attend the blood pressure screening events?
Please elaborate your answer; compare prevention types, give examples and share similar challenges you might have faced during your practice.
Once you received your case number; answer the specific question on the table above. Then, continue to discuss the 3 topics listed below for your case:
Identify the different roles and responsibilities of the nurse.
Please discuss the challenges you anticipate facing when fulfilling the various roles of a nurse practitioner. How would you work to improve your weaknesses? Identify your strengths.
Which patient population is most likely to experience health disparities and why?
Case study 1
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Case study 1
Introduction
Nurses, like other healthcare professionals, are important professionals in society. These health care professionals play the most work in healthcare by helping patients in various ways (Gillespie, 2021). The presented case study involves a nurse called J.R. who is working with an urban Chinese community. J.R. has the responsibility of teaching the community about prevention and early detection of diseases and other health conditions. Members of the Chinese community gave mistrust western medicine. This paper presents a discussion based on the case study.
Prevention Types
J.R is practicing secondary prevention when encouraging his patient population to attend pressure screening events. Secondary prevention focuses on the early detection of illnesses (Kisling & Das, 2021). The target of this type of prevention is those individuals with a subclinical form of the illness who appear healthy. Examples for secondary prevention include Papanicolaou (Pap) smear for early detection of cervical cancer and mammography for early detection of breast cancer (Kisling & Das, 2021). Others are colonoscopies for early detection of colon cancer and blood Pressure Screening.
Primary prevention, on the other hand, entails measures that aim at populations at risk of certain illnesses. The objective is to prevent the disease from ever occurring (Kisling & Das, 2021). Examples include immunization, needle exchange programs, tobacco cessation programs, and others. Tertiary prevention aims to reduce the effects of the disease once established in an individual (Kisling & Das, 2021). It commonly includes rehabilitation efforts, such as cardiac rehab in post-myocardial infarction patients, occupational and physical therapy in burn patients, and diabetic foot care.
Possible Challenges When Working with the Community
Some of the challenges that might arise when working in the position of J.R. include patients refusing to trust and adhere to early prevention guidelines. Some individuals might intentionally refuse to trust information discusses during health education (Gillespie, 2021). Another challenge includes a lack of faith in vaccination and would not allow their children to be vaccinated. Another challenge is people who do not have time to attend health education. Getting them is difficult and a serious challenge to care educators.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Nurse
Nurses have many roles and responsibilities in healthcare, from preventive, treatment, to follow-up roles. For example, nurses can educate patients to promote healthy habits that result in good health (Gillespie, 2021). Nurses are involved in the direct care of patients including drug administration and bedside care. Nurses encourage patients emotionally when anxious or worried about their conditions (Gillespie, 2021). Also, nurses perform a patient examination as well as monitor and document the patient’s progress among many other roles.
Challenges as a Nurse Practitioner
The first challenge is varying wrking hours. Nurses do not have regular working hours and the shifts keep varying between day and night. Some shifts are challenging but nurses do not have otherwise (Gillespie, 2021). Some patients are problematic and do not follow instructions but nurses must work with them. As a nurse, any weaknesses can be improved by gaining experience and accepting the job, and loving it. it is also important to work collaboratively with other health workers (Gillespie, 2021). Strengths include compassion for patients, flexibility, reliability, and excellent communication skills.
Health Disparities
The elderly is one of the populations that are most affected by health disparities. Older patients have both biological and psychological complications that the general population may not have (Gillespie, 2021). Aging involves biological changes that can have negative effects on their physical and mental health status. For instance, women are more likely to develop osteoporosis, depressive symptoms, and functional limitations as they age (Gillespie, 2021). Men, on the other hand, are more likely to develop heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.
Conclusion
Nurses have numerous roles and responsibilities in health care to improve the health status of individuals and the whole community. They also face certain challenges at work. However, they can always work on their weaknesses to overcome the challenges. Nurses are more concerned about populations that are most affected by health disparities.
References
Gillespie, D. (2021). The Many Roles of the Registered Nurse. Cambridge Scholars Publisher.
Kisling, L. A., & Das, J. M. (2021). Prevention strategies. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537222/