Special Features: Health Policy, Coursework Example

Introduction

Public health services in many communities are limited and do not provide the level of resources that are required to accommodate large populations; therefore, these factors must be considered in the development of new approaches to managing significant problems that impact communities in different ways. It is important to identify the public health tools and resources that are available within communities so that additional measures are evaluated to accommodate patient needs effectively. Public health nurses and programs must be available as a means of directing attention towards areas of extreme need, such as disease prevention and proper nutrition; however, these are only two examples of the areas where public health directives are required. These efforts require the full participation and expertise of public health nurses in order to achieve successful results and to be proactive in educating the public regarding areas where the need is greatest. The following discussion will address the status of community-based public health programs and will emphasize the importance of developing new strategies to accommodate local residents, as well as the role of the public health nurse in accommodating patient care needs in these communities.

Analysis

One of the critical areas to consider in public health is disparities, particularly as they are evident throughout society and require significant attention and focus. Community-based programs are essential to promote widespread education and compliance regarding matters that impact the public, such as preventative care and disease management (Turnock, 2011). In this context, it is observed that communities may lack public health programs and the resources that are required to accomplish these objectives, but this is contingent upon other factors, such as the availability of public health nurses to lead and administer these programs (Turnock, 2011). From this perspective, it is evident that communities without access to qualified and experienced public health nurses may suffer from a lack of public health support (Turnock, 2011). As a result, it is necessary to identify the communities where resources are lacking and aim to be proactive in recruiting public health nurses to improve outcomes for local residents (Turnock, 2011).

Many communities may offer public health services in some form; however, they are not always sufficient to accommodate residents’ needs, and a lack of educational programs are often difficult to overcome in promoting practical principles to promote prevention (Monsen, Radosevich, Kerr, & Fulkerson, 2011). Communities should begin to focus on their specific public health needs and to recognize the importance of developing strategies to shape outcomes and to promote improvements in quality (Monsen et.al, 2011). Therefore, public health nurses are an integral component of this practice and must be provided with resources that will enable them to be successful in supporting community-based public health initiatives (Monsen et.al, 2011). Public health nurses must be able to assess community populations and to recognize patterns that will impact their approaches to education, outreach, and policy so that improvements within the community are realized (Monsen et.al, 2011).

In any public health endeavor, there must be a significant focus on the population above all else, and this represents a means of developing new strategies that will accommodate patients within the community and their specific needs (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013). These efforts require a significant knowledge base and an opportunity to examine different perspectives that are likely to have a positive impact on local residents, along with the development of programs that aim to provide these residents of different age groups with different resources to meet their needs effectively (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013). These practices demonstrate an opportunity to examine the different areas where public health needs are lacking so that nurses may provide education and other services that will accommodate these needs effectively (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013). From this perspective, public health services within a given community must be recognized for their contributions in supporting local residents and in determining how to best educate the public regarding health issues that may directly impact their lives (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013). Furthermore, nurses must work proactively in order to address gaps in policy that may impact patient care, including but not limited to areas where policies do not currently emphasize the importance of disease prevention and other mechanisms that impact local populations (Meagher-Stewart et.al, 2010). Therefore, additional considerations must be made that will be used to support local residents through policy updates and additions that will have a positive impact on the public health needs of local residents (Meagher-Stewart et.al, 2010). In this context, public health nurses must be available to support patients and to provide a basis for examining new ideas to improve the lives of local residents who require public health education and related services (Meagher-Stewart et.al, 2010).

Conclusion

Public health nurses and programs must be available to local communities in order to provide much-needed education and guidance to local residents in regards to their specific healthcare needs. These efforts require individuals to be proactive in addressing the issues that impact their health and in supporting a framework that conveys the importance of developing strategies to improve the lives of local residents through the recruitment of public health nurses, an allocation of resources for this population, and opportunities to examine the different areas of need that are prevalent within a given community. These efforts require the support and guidance of public health nurses as a means of improving the knowledge base of local residents and in engaging them to receive preventative services and other forms of knowledge that will improve patient outcomes.

References

Meagher?Stewart, D., Underwood, J., MacDonald, M., Schoenfeld, B., Blythe, J., Knibbs, K., … & Crea, M. (2010). Special features: Health policy: Organizational attributes that assure optimal utilization of public health nurses. Public Health Nursing, 27(5), 433-441.

Monsen, K. A., Radosevich, D. M., Kerr, M. J., & Fulkerson, J. A. (2011). Public health nurses tailor interventions for families at risk. Public health nursing, 28(2), 119-128.

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2013). Public Health Nursing-Revised Reprint: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Turnock, B. (2011). Public health. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.