Reference no: EM132109602

Question: Discuss how you feel nurses can positively impact the Healthy people 2020 goals.

Healthy people 2020 has many goals. I feel nurses can greatly impact the healthy people 2020 goals by first teaching patients about prevention. Healthy people goals for global health is one of those preventions. "Improve public health and strengthen U.S. national security through global disease detection, response, prevention, and control strategies." Disease detection starts with well check-ups with your primary care physician. Nursing strategies include educating patients on the importance of keeping check-up appointments. Any chronic illness to be assessed and any new information to be given to patient verbally or written materials given to patient.

Secondly, we as nurses can introduce health promotion. Healthy people 2020 in immunizations and infectious disease goals, "Increase immunization rates and reduce preventable infectious diseases." Floor nurses can educate patients before discharge on influenzas, pneumonia, or shingles vaccine. We in the cancer center as nurses give handouts on neutropenia symptoms and how to prevent infection (we have many patients that are or become neutropenic). We handout thermometers and give face masks to our patients. According to NIH.gov, "Nurses must have an evidence-based understanding of the significant effect that can be made through health promotion interventions and communicate this understanding to the public at large. As more people grow in their awareness of activities that lead to good health and become knowledgeable about their own health status and the health of their families, the overall health of the population will improve." At my hospital where I work we have health screening fairs a few times a year. Other hospitals around our town offer that as well.

According to my current other class Caring for the Community in week 2 it discusses the first level of prevention which is primary prevention. "This is conventional prevention-preventing an undesirable thing from happening. It includes efforts at immunization, nutrition teaching, and education about modes of transmission of communicable disease. For example, encouraging people to protect themselves from the sun's ultraviolet rays is an example of primary prevention of skin cancer. Other examples in primary prevention include well baby clinics, HIV community education efforts, and programs that discourage substance abuse. In the community, this may involve fitness events, water fluoridation, or even efforts to install sidewalks near schools."