Theoretical Base for Practice: Theoretical base for practice focuses on integrating theories and knowledge from the arts, humanities, sciences and nursing to develop a foundation for nursing practice. (FSU, 2012). It is important for nurses to have various perspectives in which to view the many diverse patients that they will be in contact with throughout their nursing careers. The education on the many cultures, the ability to effectively analyze different situations and adapt accordingly, and the ability to apply theories and evidence relevant to health promotion are the characteristics of a nursing professional. When nurses have the knowledge and tools in their "tool box" to act professionally and communicate effectively, they are more efficient and are more in a position to positively impact the outcomes of their patients.
One such example is a population risk paper I did on vulnerable/at risk populations where I chose to write about the American and Alaskan Indians. This population has statistically been lower then national averages for a very long time in just about every metric. There have been many areas of opportunity that have existed for quite some time for this population. It is so important as nursing professionals to continue to identify areas of opportunity, and develop ways to improve the healthcare provided for our patients. I learned that as a nursing professional, it is important to research populations at risk to sufficiently support communities in our care. Due to the level of research I did for this project including identifying current state, along with researching ideas for implementing change, I feel I grew professionally being equipped with a new perspective and appreciation for populations at risk. I think its important to meet patients where they are, and learn about challenges patient's are faced with to better understand how best to partner with them in making goals that will help them be more successful in their health and well-being.
Community Nursing: 340
Vulnerable Populations; American and Alaskan Indians AIAN
populationriskpaper.docx
The second example I have that supports the work I've done towards building this foundation for nursing practice is a tool I created for overweight children in the community. "Children have been affected in the obesity epidemic with more than 19% of school-aged children being obese in 2007 to 2008 compared with just 6% back in the late 1970's" (Novak & Browned, 2012, p. 2345). Due to the risk for type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, this is a big issue affecting our youth. Food cost and accessibility is a challenge faced by many families in the community. Often times, food that is not nutritious is more affordable and enticing to the consumer. Realizing this barrier to healthy eating, I focused on engaging parents and students to take part in the planning of healthier snack options, and inspiring parents to get creative in order to engage their children in healthier alternatives for their children. With this assignment, I learned the important of researching the challenges faced by the community. It also allowed me the opportunity to learn about the process for designing tools to help promote health and well being in children.
healthpromotiontoolhealthyfoodchoicesforchildren.docx
Health Promotion Tool
jhousehealth_promotion_tool.docx
As healthcare professionals, we will encounter a wide variety of challenges throughout our careers. Through these assignments, I learned more about the obstacles and challenges that vulnerable populations are faced with. As nursing professionals, we need to be flexible, adaptable, and creative in our education. These assignments helped to provide perspective on the many different populations in our care and inspired me to be more creative in my approaches to better understand my target audience when providing education. This assignment also reinforced the importance of fully researching the obstacles our patients are faced with to fully know how to best respond. I learned how important it is to engage our patients, and how important motivation is when trying to inspire behavior change and well-being. I learned how important prevention is, and any work that can be done to reinforce education regarding health promotion and disease prevention earlier in life will make a huge difference throughout their lives.
Ferris State University. (2011, January 17). BSN program outcomes [nursing]. Retrieved from http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/colleges/alliedhe/Nursing/BSN-program-outcomes.htm
Novak, N. L., & Brownell, K. D. (2012, November 6). Role of Policy and Government in the Obesity Epidemic. Circulation, 2345-2352. http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.037929
Raudonis, B. M., & Acton, G. J. (2008, June 28). Theory-based nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26, 138-145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1997.1997026138.x
One such example is a population risk paper I did on vulnerable/at risk populations where I chose to write about the American and Alaskan Indians. This population has statistically been lower then national averages for a very long time in just about every metric. There have been many areas of opportunity that have existed for quite some time for this population. It is so important as nursing professionals to continue to identify areas of opportunity, and develop ways to improve the healthcare provided for our patients. I learned that as a nursing professional, it is important to research populations at risk to sufficiently support communities in our care. Due to the level of research I did for this project including identifying current state, along with researching ideas for implementing change, I feel I grew professionally being equipped with a new perspective and appreciation for populations at risk. I think its important to meet patients where they are, and learn about challenges patient's are faced with to better understand how best to partner with them in making goals that will help them be more successful in their health and well-being.
Community Nursing: 340
Vulnerable Populations; American and Alaskan Indians AIAN
populationriskpaper.docx
The second example I have that supports the work I've done towards building this foundation for nursing practice is a tool I created for overweight children in the community. "Children have been affected in the obesity epidemic with more than 19% of school-aged children being obese in 2007 to 2008 compared with just 6% back in the late 1970's" (Novak & Browned, 2012, p. 2345). Due to the risk for type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, this is a big issue affecting our youth. Food cost and accessibility is a challenge faced by many families in the community. Often times, food that is not nutritious is more affordable and enticing to the consumer. Realizing this barrier to healthy eating, I focused on engaging parents and students to take part in the planning of healthier snack options, and inspiring parents to get creative in order to engage their children in healthier alternatives for their children. With this assignment, I learned the important of researching the challenges faced by the community. It also allowed me the opportunity to learn about the process for designing tools to help promote health and well being in children.
healthpromotiontoolhealthyfoodchoicesforchildren.docx
Health Promotion Tool
jhousehealth_promotion_tool.docx
As healthcare professionals, we will encounter a wide variety of challenges throughout our careers. Through these assignments, I learned more about the obstacles and challenges that vulnerable populations are faced with. As nursing professionals, we need to be flexible, adaptable, and creative in our education. These assignments helped to provide perspective on the many different populations in our care and inspired me to be more creative in my approaches to better understand my target audience when providing education. This assignment also reinforced the importance of fully researching the obstacles our patients are faced with to fully know how to best respond. I learned how important it is to engage our patients, and how important motivation is when trying to inspire behavior change and well-being. I learned how important prevention is, and any work that can be done to reinforce education regarding health promotion and disease prevention earlier in life will make a huge difference throughout their lives.
Ferris State University. (2011, January 17). BSN program outcomes [nursing]. Retrieved from http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/colleges/alliedhe/Nursing/BSN-program-outcomes.htm
Novak, N. L., & Brownell, K. D. (2012, November 6). Role of Policy and Government in the Obesity Epidemic. Circulation, 2345-2352. http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.037929
Raudonis, B. M., & Acton, G. J. (2008, June 28). Theory-based nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26, 138-145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1997.1997026138.x