Demonstrate the ability to incorporate the dimensions of person, nursing, and environment to promote health in a variety of nursing situations. All things appear and disappear in the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else. ~Buddha |
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Selected Evidence to Meet Outcome Every area where a nurse works is an opportunity to promote health. My clinical evaluations encompass the ability to incorporate all dimensions of person, nursing and environment because the nurse is working with the client, and that relationship is there to promote health. My clinical evaluations demonstrate my ability to address the environment and the person to promote health. My mental health teaching plan illustrates that I am promoting health incorporating the person and how they relate to their environment. My geographical assessment demonstrates how I incorporated the skills of nursing to assess the people and environment in a community setting and to determine needs to promote health of the identified population. ReflectionsMy clinical evaluations illustrate my growth throughout the program. Initially I had little understanding of this concept. In 220, this is evidenced by focusing primarily on caring for the patients, and not addressing the environment the patient is in, or being consciously aware of my actions as a nurse. As I progressed through the program however, I became more cognizant of the fact that the environment has a significant impact on the health and recovery of the patient. I as a nurse can affect the environment in many ways. Most basic is to assure the safety of the environment for the patient, such as placing a call light within reach of a patient, ensuring there is adequate lighting, and keeping the room peaceful in an effort to promote health. My clinical experiences have placed me in numerous settings as well. My initial clinical was in a long term care facility. We have been to different hospitals, I have seen promotion in outpatient centers, community based clinics, and schools. Our mental health clinical introduced to me outpatient centers, which is a more independent environment where learning takes place. For patients who still need services but are not in an acute phase of their disease process, Outpatient care is extremely appropriate. With every clinical, I come to realize that health promotion is the realm of the nurse, that a nurse can exhibit her art in this highly individualized realm, and nurses can stress promotion with every patient interaction, in every setting, at any point in the patient's life. This is true application of science, and the effectiveness and therapeutic care involved is truly and art. In addition to clinical, some of my non nursing classes assisted me in helping to see different dimensions of people. While I have no paperwork from this class, in Anthropology we spent each section of the course immersed in the viewpoint of a different paradigm, and discussed current world issues based on each viewpoint. For example, how would an environmentalist feel about the Iraq War? How would a Militant? An indigenous group? This class aided me in learning that the paradigm in which a person views the world shapes their perception of the enviorment, and how I can use that perspective to communicate effectively with that person. One main factor in mental health patients is a perceived lack of control on their environment. This is a cause of stress, which can exacerbate the disease process and have physiologic and psychological manifestations. In this project, I utilized the role of nurse as facilitator, and recognized that the patient was in charge of this exercise. While they discovered their own stress triggers, we then had a relaxation exercise to assist the patients in learning to control their inward anxieties by letting go of the outside interferences. By not allowing their perceived environmental antagonists to influence them, they were able to relax. I facilitated the environment by dimming the lighting, providing mats, and playing soothing, distracting music. My global assessment is an example how I used nursing to not only look at the persons of a community, but how the environment in that community influenced the health of the population and discovered resources in that community to promote health. I feel I am beginning to understand that the environment is not only the room, ward, or hospital the patient is in. As nurses we have to be aware of the entire environment the patient is in. In our geographical assessment, we discovered there is little access to fresh food. There is little recreation. There is a lot of fast food. This all leads to decreased health for a population. There is general neglect in the area. There are a lot of older cars. There is graffiti. All of these minutiae lead to an emotional environment that can lead to depression and a perceived lack of safety. Rather than provide direct patient care, the nurse is caring for the client as community, and looking at interventions to improve the environment, which will increase the health of the person. Future PlansI think it is extremely important to direct patient teaching and health promotion to the patient in a way that the patient can incorporate into their daily routine. While in the acute care setting, I plan on analyzing the educational needs of clients, assess their home environment, and provide discharge teaching that is relevant and appropriate for each person. As a professional nurse I also plan to work on community health initiatives that seek to improve the health of the population as a whole. Of particular concern right now is public health funding. Nursing is a powerful, trusted profession and I plan to use my influence as a nurse to aid causes which will promote health. One topic I feel needs to be addressed is including biology and reproductive education into statewide school curriculum. A better educated adolescent group can make great strives against sexual health issues such as HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancies. |
EvidenceMental Health Teaching Plan- I presented different causes of stress, developed a brochure with relaxation techniques to give to patients, and conducted a relaxation exercise. Geographical Assessment A group in Community Health assessed an geographic area, Tillicum, diagnosed community needs, and planned a power point which described various community resources to address the needs of the community. |
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