Health Care Promotion

Health Care Promotion the Nurses Role Beverly C. Easterwood Grand Canyon University

Healthcare promotion is very complex and has many facets that have to be addressed in order to have an effect on the population. There are three levels of health promotion; primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary health care promotion is teaching how to prevent a disease from occurring. Teaching preventative ways to avoid disease can start in early childhood. School nurses and nurses in pediatrician offices are a key asset to helping children learn healthy habits. Nurses play a huge part in teaching parents
“Behaviors established in childhood predict health outcomes over the lifespan” (Deborah). Nurses also play a key role in educating parents on the importance of childhood vaccination to prevent deadly childhood illnesses. These are all preventative ways to avoid disease and they are considered primary. Secondary health care promotion is teaching people to get health screenings done. Health screenings are important because they can find disease before the patient feels sick. A nurse’s role in health screening is very important because if not explained in a way the patient understands or if the patient cannot see its importance they may not have screenings done and become sicker than necessary. This is also a cost effective issue because if the patient does not get the screenings done and catch the disease it will end up costing more to take care of that patient. Another reason to get screening
Over the years nurses have always looked out for their patient’s health and well being, however times have changed, and today’s nurses are not only seen as care takers but as educators, patient advocates and researchers. Ever changing roles of nurses in the medical field is very exciting. Nurses have more opportunities than ever to be a part of changing the healthcare system. One of the main roles of nurses will be healthcare promotion. “Social, economic and political forces have a strong influences on health” (Kumar). Being that Social, economic and political forces have a strong influence on health nurses need to be advocates for their patients in order to make changes. Promoting healthy eating for school lunches and teaching children and their parents healthy eating and exercise habits will greatly reduce childhood obesity which will have a lifelong effect. Making sure the schools are free from asbestos and other carcinogenic substances. Initiating city projects to make parks safe to walk and exercise in would help people get exercise therefore promote physical activity lessening the likelihood for obesity. Without advocates these thing would never change. Nurses have the chance to make a change because they have the tools to seek out evidence based research and apply it to situations in order to make a positive change. Nurses play a unique role in the new 2020 initiative and that is to