The Nursing Role in Epidemiology, Essay Example

Rationale and Support

It is important to understand epidemiological reports to gain a better understanding of the types of patient populations that nurses will work with (Gleavy, 1990). In particular, there is a high need to gain an understanding of work-related risks because a lot of workers have fallen victim to health concerns due to a direct consequence of their health practices. In this particular research study, individuals attempt to determine whether there is a significant difference in the health patterns of men who work during the day and men who work at night (Parent et al., 2012). Since these individuals follow very different sleeping patterns, it is reasonable to discern which individuals may be at higher risk for certain illnesses related to their work habits. Based on this knowledge, health care professionals can then provide these individuals with advice that will help them avoid these inherent risks.

Reflection

In this particular situation, it was found that individuals that work at night do not have the opportunity to generate as much melatonin as workers that work during the day. Since melatonin is produced as a consequence of a lack of sleep, individuals who are outside during daylight hours are less likely to produce it. Basic science has shown that melatonin is broken down during sleep and is necessary to promote feelings that an individual is well-rested. While the relationship between working in the day or night and this chemical is not known, individuals who work at night were shown to have more of the chemical in addition to a greater chance of suffering from certain types of cancer. This is an important understanding in the health field because it demonstrates a need to provide night workers with treatment to avoid the negative health consequences of their job. Therefore, it would be beneficial for nurses to determine which workers could be at risk for developing illnesses related to their work and to provide them with supplemental treatment and education to help them overcome these potential risks. This is an interesting study because it can contribute to future studies to help this patient population in the future. It is the nurse’s responsibility to determine how to best help their patients, so it is beneficial for nurses to keep up with the current literature to determine understanding that will contribute to evidence-based practice. It is important for health care professionals to gain a greater understanding of this trend so that they could continue to help members of the working public. It is the nurse’s responsibility to do the best for all people at all times, and following these suggestions would help ensure that this responsibility is met and the most positive outcomes are made.

Plagiarism Statement

I have read and understand the plagiarism policy as outlined in the syllabus and the sections in the Catalog relating to the IWU Honesty/Cheating Policy.  By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I certify that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment.  If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act/s, which could include expulsion from Indiana Wesleyan University.

References

Gleavy, D. (1990). The nursing role in epidemiology, risk management, and patient-public education. J Ophthalmic Nurs Technol., 9(5): 215-9.

Parent, M., El-Zein, M., Rousseau, M., Pintos, J., & Siemiatycki, J. (2012). Night work and the risk of cancer among men. American Journal of Epidemiology, 176(9). 751-759. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/773590 

Exhibit:

This research study, Night Work and the Risk of Cancer among Men, attempted to determine whether a reduced melatonin release experienced by these workers contributed to the risk of disease.  To examine this relationship, a population-based case-control study was conducted.  Cancer patients were selected as a convenience sample and members of the general public served as the control.  Approximately 3,000 patients were recruited to the experimental group and approximately 700 controls were recruited.  Surveys were issued to determine workers’ exposure to work-related chemicals to gain an understanding of the nature of their jobs and to understand the physical labor required at each job.  A survey was issued to ascertain whether the recruited individuals were night or day workers.

A statistical analysis was conducted to determine the odds ratio for this relationship.  Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios.  It was found that the odds ratio comparing men who worked at night to those who worked during the day was 1.76.  However, individuals that worked at night were much more likely to get certain types of cancer compared to individuals that worked during the day.  This included those with bladder cancer (OR = 2.77) and those with rectal cancer (OR = 2.27).  For each instance, the 95% confidence interval was calculated (Parent, El-Zein, Rousseau, Pintos, & Siemiatycki, 2012).

This study likely involved sample bias because a convenience sample was used. Furthermore, it is possible that there was a reporter bias because the researchers were aware of each patient’s medical history and therefore had an understanding of which study group they belonged to.  Overall, this study contributes to knowledge and skill in advanced practice nursing because it indicates that certain groups of male workers are at higher risk for certain types of cancer.  Therefore, therapy that involves melatonin production could be a reasonable resolution to this problem, and nurses would benefit by applying this knowledge to their practice.  Since melatonin is a chemical in the skin that is produced by sunlight, therapy could involve the use of a tanning bed or UV mirror for several minutes a day.  While it is also possible to help these individuals adjust their schedules, many nighttime workers have long shifts and are therefore unable to be awake for daylight hours on most days.  Therefore, the exact therapy recommended will depend on the needs and abilities of the individual.