...Caring for Populations Annette Holt Chamberlain College of Nursing NR443: Community Health Nursing November, 2014 Caring for Populations What does this city look like- really look like per statistics? Is this community aware of their issues and how to identify those needs? In efforts to improve the health and medical needs within a community that one lives in, a community health nurse will assess the entire population of the community. The community health nurse will apply a scientific approach to help identify the health needs for the community. The purpose of this paper is to provide health problems in a specific community based on statistics, demographic data, epidemiology data, and a windshield survey. The community for this assessment is Jefferson City, Missouri. Community Jefferson City is located in the middle of the State of Missouri. This community is the State Capital of Missouri and The Missouri Governor’s Mansion both sitting on the bluffs of the Missouri River. There are museums and historic sites located close to both of these historic sites. The conservation center exhibits Missouri’s wildlife and habitats. It is also a host to The Little Theatre and Jefferson City symphony. It hosts one of the Nation’s first Black colleges, Lincoln University. There are many historic homes and architectural styles to show the history of migration in the United States. (Cities of the United States, 2006). The city is one of the largest employers of State...
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...Caring For Populations: Assessment and Diagnosis Jacqueline West Chamberlain College of Nursing NR443 Community Health Nursing Winter 2013 Caring for Populations: Assessment and Diagnosis According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), more than one-third of adult Americans were classified as obese in 2010 (Ogden et al, 2012). Obesity on a national level tends to effect men and women equally. The NCHS also states that 17% of children and adolescents were obese in 2010. Being that obesity is a risk factor for many diseases, mainly cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the purpose of this paper is to assess obesity in a selected community. Understanding the correlation between obesity, communities’ resources and risk factors, and other chronic diseases could lead to community education and more importantly disease prevention. For the purpose of this paper the community selected is Rock Hill, South Carolina. This is a small city located south of Charlotte North Carolina. Rock Hill is convenient to many school, hospitals, churches, and parks. According to the city of Rock Hill’s official webpage (www.cityofrockhill.com) the city has thirty-one parks, four recreation centers, sixteen gyms/healthclubs, and approximately 400-acres of open natural space for exploration. According to the Census Bureau’s webpage, in 2010 Rock Hill’s population was 66,154 people and the median household income was $38,331. Whites accounted for 52.3% of the population...
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...Caring for the Baby Boomer Population Thomas Watrucki Thomas Edison State College Mentor Tish Dorman December 7th, 2014 The “baby boomer” generation (those born from 1946-1964) are now our retirement-age elderly that we healthcare providers are challenged with caring for. The Population Reference Bureau estimates that there are 76.4 million baby boomers (as of April 2014). About 3 million baby boomers will hit retirement age every year for the next 20 years (Barr, 2014). Healthypeople.gov estimates that 60 percent of this population will be managing more than one chronic condition by 2030. The American Hospital Association notes that the over 65 population will nearly triple as a result of the aging Boomers. What this means for us healthcare providers is that our healthcare system will be challenged with caring for a significantly increased amount of elderly with chronic ailments that we are seeing now. This will increase healthcare costs as chronic disease management increases and transitions are made from private insurance carriers to Medicare. I interviewed a baccalaureate nurse who works on the geriatric medical surgical unit in my hospital and asked her to identify the special needs of the Baby Boomer Generation. She has been a nurse for 25 years and has worked on that unit for the past 12 years. Looking back on her experience and the current trends of problems she encounters with this generation, specifically with the lower income minority population that we work...
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...Caring for Populations: Assessment and Diagnosis Introduction Beautiful green fields of alfalfa, soy beans, and corn, big wide blue skies, clean clear water in the form of rivers, lakes, streams, and babbling brooks, cows and horses basking in the full day sun in pastures filled with wild flowers, and some of the most amazingly detailed rolling hills carved by the glaciers one could ever lay their eyes upon. This is Wisconsin, clean air, friendly people, and wonderful schools and healthcare. One could only fall in love. Each place has its beauty, each its special place in the hearts of those who reside there. Even with a feeling of home, one wonders what challenges face each community. Just like with maintaining a home, if left in ill repair it will surely crumble to the ground, as is also true for the people who live within these communities. They too need up-keep via access to education and healthcare. This paper wishes to complete an assessment and diagnosis of healthcare needs in just one small community, Blair Wisconsin. Community Blair was originally founded in the 1850’s on the banks of the Trempealeau River. The majority of the population of Blair is as it was in the 1800’s, primarily Norwegian, with a small group of German’s. Farming is Wisconsin, but within city limits there are many dual income families, single household families, and retirees. Services available in Blair include the following. There is one long term care...
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...Applying Watson’s Theory to Mind-Body-Spirit Dimensions Jean Watson’s theory of human caring is one that elevates nursing from being merely a clinical experience to becoming an intersection with the patient that affects the patient deeply in all three dimensions—the mind, body, and spirit. In order to achieve this three-pronged impact, the nurse must create caring-healing moments with the patient. As Watson (2006, p. 51) points out, “The whole caring-healing consciousness is contained within a single caring moment…Caring consciousness transcends time, space, and physicality—that is, caring goes beyond the given moment, and situation, and informs the future experiences of practitioner and patient.” Watson (2006, p. 51) contends that through these caring-healing moments, the patient’s human dignity is preserved, and the relationship between patient and nurse is marked by integrity. The application of Watson’s theory has resulted in remarkable successes in terms of healing patients, but it is problematic because of the difficulty in measuring intangible qualities such as mental and spiritual dimensions of healing. It is important for nurses to have access to assessment tools that can assist them in evaluating clients in various stages of health, illness, stress, and life so that Watson’s theory can be applied accordingly and its results can be aptly measured. Two such tools are the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale and the Hassles and Uplifts Scale. Each tool...
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...to be a positive influence to the practice is Watson’s theory of human caring. The utilization of Watson’s theory of human caring is extremely relevant within the critical care arena, specifically because of the high acuity of the patient population. The practical application of this theory is explored utilizing several important elements to describe a personal interaction between the patient populations. The Caring Moment Defined Watson (2012) defines the caring moment as, “An actual caring moment occasion involves action and choice both by the nurse and the individual. The moment of coming together in a caring moment occasion presents the two persons with the opportunity to decide how to be in the relationship—what to do with the moment” (p. 71). She further explains that if the moment is spiritual then the chance of openness can occur, making the relationship limitless (Watson, 2012). The successfulness of a caring moment allows the human to human interaction to occur, regardless of the personal and social backgrounds of the participants. In each interaction, the participants display different feelings, thoughts, expectations, spiritual beliefs, environmental respects and individual implications. The historical situations that precede the interaction are multifaceted. These interactions are influenced by the previous history, present moment, and imagined future of the person. Experiences of caring moments within nursing allows opportunities for the nurse to have self-identification...
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...Vulnerable Population in the Workplace Noy-Starra Edge Nur/440 May 7, 2012 Mrs. Mendez Vulnerable Population in the Workplace Long term acute care hospitals (LTACHs), give extended medical, rehabilitative, and intensive care to individuals with clinically complex problems that need hospital level care for greater than 25 days (American Hospital Association, 2012). Many LTACH admissions are elderly patients, which is a vulnerable population. “Elderly and aged patients are considered to be capable and competent, they should be treated as a vulnerable group of patients, who may need additional care and protection of their interests because of their possible incapability to realize their rights themselves (Pishchita, 2007, p.350). Most LTACH take Medicare and Medicaid payments and all take private insurance. The government provides insurance for low-income seniors and younger persons with disabilities that are govern by the state of the individual. According to Caring for Vulnerable Populations (2011), these persons are among the sickest and poorest individuals making them rely on dual enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid government programs for necessary services. “55% of this population has an annual income below $10,000 and sixty million Americans currently obtain coverage through state-based Medicaid programs. These individuals come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and pose unique care coordination challenges. They disproportionately face chronic diseases and challenges...
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...The field of Human Services is limitless; While Human Service itself has such a broad definition, the work of the field speaks in volumes as the needed of the people are addressed. The Human Service field has a wide variety of occupations and areas within its umbrella, all sharing one basic objective of providing a service to someone in need The main objective of the field is to provide services to people struggling to survive vulnerable times in their lives and need additional supports to become more self-sufficient. Human Service organization are designed and developed to assist in making the service the field offers available for the people that need them. [Your paper will benefit from a stronger introduction. The introduction provides an opportunity to capture the reader's attention with a “hook.” It also indicates what the paper will be about and how you will approach the topic. Refer to the 5-paragraph tutorial from Writing Wizards in the Tutorials & Guides section of the Center for Writing Excellence for more information about writing introductions.] Quality Life Services is one Human Service organization within the Human Service Field striving to provide services and supports to individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. This organization was founded in 1988 and is redeveloping its foundation in the Brownsville East New York area of Brooklyn New York. The organization is a nonprofit organization that is overseen by a board of Directors also known as...
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...Population Health & Scripture Kimberly Folck Liberty University NUR 503 Managing Population Health July 23, 2014 Abstract This paper will summarize the worldview of Christianity and how the framework of Christianity can provide the elements needed in caring for the population. The focus will be on several scriptures and writings from the Bible and other sources and how they apply to the individual and the community as a whole as Christians. Population Health & Scripture Christianity Within the pages of the Bible there are stories of Jesus caring for people. Jesus cared for those in need, for those who were sick, and fed those who were hungry. It is because of His teachings that Christians continue to follow within His footsteps to do the same. The teachings that are within the Bible provide a framework for a worldwide Christian view to population health. Christians are called to help others just as Jesus did. To care for others without regard to social status, financial status, or even religious beliefs, Christians are similar to the health care system within the United States. The healthcare system in the United States does not turn away those in need of care; however, the costs can cause a person to not seek the care that is needed. According to a study conducted called Religion & Public Life Project approximately 78.4% of Americans are Christian in faith. If all practicing Christians approached caring for others within the population...
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...Depression in the Homeless Population According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), one in four Americans will experience mental illness in their lifetime in any given year (NAMI, 2014). Approximately 6.7 percent, around 14.8 million people suffer from major depressive disorder. NAMI (2013) found that sixty percent of adults suffering from mental illness did not receive any mental health services in the previous year. Mental health illness is a serious financial drain on the American health care system, with NAMI (2013) reporting around 200 billion dollars in lost revenue per year. Mood disorders such as depression can cause frequent hospitalizations; it is the third most common cause of hospitalization in the United States for both youth and adults (NAMI, 2013). The American Psychological Association (APA) found that the rates of mental illness among the homeless population were twice that of the general population (APA, 2014). Disparity Nyamathi & Marfisee (2012), identified factors in the homeless population that makes them susceptible to health care disparities such as age, homeless status, and lack of education. Johnson & Chamberlain (2011) found that while mental health issues are prevalent among the homeless population, it does not always precede homelessness. However those suffering from mental health illnesses experienced more long-term homelessness compared to those who did not. Wright (2014) found that 54% of homeless patients reported negative attitudes...
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...J Hansen Mrs. Burnham Language Arts, Period 4 13 December 2016 A Christmas Carol: Literary Analysis Essay Have you ever thought about the Victorian Era and how different life is today? This is significant because there was so much tragedy and Charles Dickens wrote about it in A Christmas Carol. Truly the only way people survived was by caring. Charles Dickens grew up in the Victorian Era being very poor. He wanted people to realize how life was in the low social class in Victorian England, so he wrote A Christmas Carol. The story is about how Scrooge changes throughout the book, childhood innocence, and social justice. Scrooge’s personality and attitude from the beginning of the book to the end changed dramatically. Dickens also indirectly...
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...The article, “When Criticism never ends” discussed the topic of adult children caring for their elderly parents. Attempting to keep their parents comfortable and living the life that they were once used too. Within this article it discusses one lady who goes by the name of Amanda, giving a daily routine of her life caring for her parents. Apart of this routine she enlisted her husband to help her care for her father providing daily living cares, that took most of the evening. Amanda shared her frustrations, the lack of help from her other siblings due to the distance that they lived. She also shared that regardless of how hard she tried to ensure that her parents were comfortable, she was never acknowledge for all the time and effort she put in, she was only scolded with the wrongs. Amanda stated that she attempted to find other help, however, due to wanting to ensure that her parents lived their life comfortably that companies that offered services did not offer them at the time her parents would like. However, after an extended time of being her parents personal care taker in their residential independent living facility, staff started to notice that the elderly couple did not come down to the dining area. This caused a staff to question their where about, and a...
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...History of Community Nursing Matrix Past Period 1: Historical Time Period: Colonial period in America was “characterized by human existence” described by Stanhope & Lancaster (2012, p23). Nursing Role in Community: Caring for the infirmed was undertaken by the female head of the house, which meant there was no formal training caring for sick members of the household. It was also the responsibility of the female head of the household to grow and gather herbs used for healing. Major Health Issues: Yellow fever, small pox, cholera, typhoid, typhus, TB, and malaria. Poor sanitation systems, and poor control over communicable disease that entered the country through seaports made it difficult to organize and support any public health effort that could curtail the spread of sickness (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Partnerships Used: The colonist relied on British traditions to establish a system of caring for the sick. The Elizabeth Poor Laws “guaranteed medical care for the poor, blind, and lame. Each county or township was responsible to care for their residents” (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p.24). As time evolved and the American Revolution was over, the public began to understand and support the need for government sponsored boards of health and they were established. The sponsored boards collected vital statisitics, sanitation improvements, and control of communicable diseases (Stanhope &Lancaster, 2012). During the colonial period, it seemed as...
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...The Elderly as a Vulnerable Population Lauren M. Lorio NUR/440 April 9, 2012 Maria Mendez The Elderly as a Vulnerable Population Vulnerability is defined as susceptibility or increased risk for health problems (DeChesnay, 2008). A group of individuals are considered at higher risk for illness when their physical, emotional, psychological, or social health, is compromised (Aday, 2001). There are many leading causes for why a population is considered at higher risk; socioeconomic, age, gender, demographics, personal, and cultural backgrounds are some of the key factors (Aday, 2001; Sebation, 1996). Individuals can become vulnerable at any time because of change in life circumstances, placing them at higher risk. One group considered to be a vulnerable population is the elderly. In the article, “Patterns of Perceived Barriers to Medical Care in Older Adults: a Latent Class Analysis,” authors Joshua M. Thorpe, Carolyn T. Thorpe, Korey A. Kennelty, and Nancy Pandhi (2011), examine various levels concerning barriers to health care accessibility for the elderly population. The purpose of the study is to “…identify risk factors, potentially assisting healthcare organizations with targeting policies and interventions designed to improve access in the most vulnerable older adult populations” (Thorpe et al., 2011, p. 1). Categories of distinct classes of older adults were established in the article, placing Class one at the lowest level of risk for accessibility issues, and...
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...Programs For as long as humans have existed, there has been elderly care. By nature, we are a caring species. The means of the care provided for the elderly population has evolved tremendously within the last fifty years. The twentieth century has been a record era for the elderly population. Within the last fifty years, programs and services have been established to provide many means for older adults. To care for older adults, many programs and services have gone above and beyond to provide as much as possible for older adults to remain happy and healthy throughout their later years. In 1965, Medicaid and Medicare were established as part of the Social Security Act (Administration for Community Living, n.d.). When the Medicare law was passed, large nursing homes based on medical models were built. These facilities included nursing stations and routine care that was given until the patient passed away. In the 1980s, Congress was brought to the attention of abuse and neglect in nursing homes. To stop this from happening, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 was declared. This stated that residents in nursing homes deserve a home where they can live for the rest of their lives like individuals. At this time, social, spiritual, emotional, occupational, recreational and cultural needs were introduced as needs to the elderly residents. Today, the elderly population is growing rapidly as the Baby Boom generation enters their older adult years. Each day 8,000...
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