Course Description
This course explores the factors that impact the health of individuals, communities, and populations at the local, national, and global levels. Issues including public health, environmental health, emerging infectious diseases, and chronic illness will be explored, while incorporating societal and cultural issues.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Explain health and development within a global health context. (PLO)
- Demonstrate an understanding of global demographic and health determinants. (PLO)
- Identify global health challenges and issues. (PLO)
- Utilize the process of critical thinking to develop strategies for dealing with social and ethical dilemmas in delivering healthcare in low and middle resource settings. (PLO)
- Discuss the major communicable and noncommunicable disease burdens impacting global health. (PLO)
- Discuss programmatic approaches to specific global health issues. (PLO)
Welcome to Global and Community-Based Nursing
This subject introduces you to the foundational principles of epidemiology and the processes utilized to perform a health assessment on a community as “client.” Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in populations. Today, public health science of epidemiology has made major contributions to the understanding of all possible factors that contribute to health and disease in all its forms. This understanding makes up the framework for the practice of nursing in public health. This topic will focus on basic epidemiological models that nurses use to assess the dimensions of health in a community. What do you already know about assessing aspects of health in a community setting? You will apply the nursing process steps of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation to a community. The Community Health Nurse’s assessment creates an understanding of the community at the individual, family, and group levels in order to solve identified problems. Tools that are utilized to study a community include Windshield Surveys, data from Healthy People 2030, data from sites such as City-Data.com, and local hospitals Community Assessments.
WEEK 7
In 2010, the IOM released its landmark report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. In this report sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the committee described a vision of a transformed health care system in which quality care is accessible to the diverse populations of the United States, wellness and disease prevention are promoted, health outcomes improve, and compassionate care is provided across the life span (IOM, 2010). To achieve this health care system, the IOM (2010) recommends that the nursing workforce become prepared to “assume leadership positions across all levels” and suggests that nursing have representatives on boards, executive management teams, and in other key leadership positions. By working with policy makers, government leaders at all levels, and advocacy organizations, nurse leaders have the power to change the health care system to provide accessible, quality, evidence-based care to individuals and populations.
ASSIGNMENT
As stated in Stanhope & Lancaster, nurses lead by participating in a Healthy Communities Program (CDC, 2013b) at the local level. Working with others to develop policies for smoke-free public spaces is an example of promoting healthy living and working environment.
What are some ways that population-focused nurse leaders facilitate primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive care? Describe a nurse’s engagement in public policy related to population health and provide two examples of how you as a Community Health Leader could influence global health.
STUDY MATERIAL
Transforming Health Care through Nurse Leadership | Campaign for Action
READINGS
- Stanhope & Lancaster:
- Ch 40: The Nurse Leader in the Community
Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community. (9th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Elsevier. ISBN: 978-0323321532
