Health Promotion Theory - Community Health Nursing - Essay Example

Health Promotion Theory - Community Health Nursing Introduction Community health nursing is a practice that involves provision of preventive, therapeutic and restorative services to the public. The basic principle of this field of nursing is that healthcare offered to an individual, a team or family contributes to the health of the entire society. The community health nurse deals with health issues through educating people on preventive strategies that help to maintain good health, especially the populations that are exposed to health hazards. People are usually exposed to health hazards in their workplaces. Occupational Health Nursing Occupational health nursing plays a significant role to maintain good health among the working community. It is a specialty of community nursing that has grown rapidly with the rise in industrialization. Employers have realized that a healthy workforce is essential for good performance. Moreover, governments together with human rights agencies have emphasized on the need for occupational health and safety in industries, which necessitated extension of community health nursing to occupational health nursing (Oakley, 2002). Action areas outlined in Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion was focused on accomplishing good health for all. The action areas outlined in the charter included developing a healthy public policy whereby health promotion was regarded not only as a healthcare issue but also as a combination of different approaches such as laws, financial interventions, levies as well as organizational participation. The promotion involved actions that culminated in health, revenue and social policies geared towards accomplishment of equity in the society. The non-health sectors were required to adopt healthy public policies (WHO, 1986). Creation of a supportive environment was also among the action areas that involved the adoption of an integrated approach to health that involved social and environmental aspects of health. The environment and biodiversity conservation was viewed as the responsibility of every person globally. Employers were required to ensure that there is a balance between work and leisure among the employees, which was regarded as a significant aspect to accomplish good health. They were also required to provide safe working conditions for workers. The health promotion strategies on organizations were also required to address environmental and natural resources conservation (McQueen and Kickbusch, 2007). Strengthening community actions involved community empowerment to accomplish better livelihoods and standards of living. Organizations were required to provide the necessary social and financial support to communities and to engage the public in health issues through training, funding as well as provision of vital information. Personal skills development was focused on improving life skills and expanding the choices available to the public to manage their health and environmental needs. The promotion enhanced life-long learning through facilitating health education in schools and within communities outside schools. Voluntary agencies, commercial organizations and institutions were expected to facilitate life-long learning (WHO, 1986). Reorientation of healthcare services, which involved collaboration between the government, community groups and individuals, professionals as well as healthcare providers, was regarded as significant for the accomplishment of healthcare promotion. Apart from therapeutic and clinical services, health institutions were required to engage in health promotion. Future endeavors were supposed to be guided by the principle of equity as regards gender balance in health promotion. Men and women would be given equal opportunities to access information, making personal health decisions as well as working and having leisure (Seedhouse, 1997). Role of the Community Health Nurse Occupational health and safety nurses play a significant role, practicing within the community in the workplace and enhance the wellbeing of workers as outlined in the action plan of the Ottawa Charter. They may be engaged in large organizations that seek to comply with government regulations. On the other hand, the nurses may work as private consultants who assist organizations to comply with the safety regulations. The Canadian health and safety legislations influence occupational health practice. The major roles of the OHS nurse include engagement in a multi-disciplinary group where healthcare goals are shared. They inform other players on health and safety strategies that promote occupational health and safety. This is accomplished through constant evaluation of the work environment to determine if there are potential risks to the health and safety of workers (Smedley et al. 2007). Occupational health and safety policies are developed through the guidance of the health promotion principles. The OHS nurses understand the types of risks and their mitigation measures, which determine the policies that the government adopts to protect its citizens from health risks in their workplaces. The nurses also design, strategize and deliver initiatives that promote occupational health national wide through campaigns that empower employees and employers regarding safety issues. They develop health and safety training programs for clients to enhance compliance (Oakley, 2002). In many circumstances, accidents occur in workplaces and the occupational health and safety nurse plays a significant role in following up such cases to certify the evidence provided. The nurse can provide important information to ensure that organizations are not unfairly penalized due to the negligence of employees. Such cases arise when the organization complies with the occupational safety legislations but the employees ignore or fail to use the safety attires provided. On the other hand, organizations may tend to minimize costs by not providing the safety requirements for the employees (Keller et al. 1998). Maintenance of employees’ health records is significant for future reference. The OHS nurse understands the type of information that may be important for filing concerning health matters, which may be important for both the organization and the employees. Such information may help the organization to escape unfair legal charges while on the other hand it may assist the employees to claim for injuries in the workplace. Regular check ups of exposure of employees to toxic chemicals enhance identification of potential health risks. On the other hand, any time when the organization needs to change its operations, such as introducing new chemicals or procedures in the workplace, the OHS nurses offer important advice on the potential risks associated with the changes and their mitigation measures. They undertake legislative and non-legislative surveillance and also develop the return to work plans for employees after recuperating from workplace injuries (Lewis and Thornbory, 2006). In case changes arise in occupational health legislation that the employer needs to comply with, the OHS nurse offers advice on the necessary adjustments. Moreover, he/she is important in the recruitment process whereby health of the recruits matters. In general, the OHS nurse’s roles are multifaceted, and all their roles are focused on improving and maintaining sustainable health of the community (Keller et al. 1998). Conclusion Occupational health nursing is a significant field in community health nursing. Its objectives were augmented by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion that was focused on accomplishing good health for all. In nursing practice, OHS nurses assist in developing public policy on health. Nurses offer advice on workplace ergonomics as well as risk control measures to be undertaken by employers. OHS nurses offer training on health management as well as dealing with accidents in the workplace. OHS nurses promote collaboration among employers, government and institutions by analyzing the health needs and making stakeholders aware of their roles in health promotion. They also offer advice to employers on health policies. References Keller, L. O.; Strohschein, S.; Lia-Hoagberg, B.; and Schaffer, M. (1998). “Population-Based Public Health Nursing Interventions: A Model from Practice.” Public Health Nursing Vol. 15 pp 207–215. Lewis, J. and Thornbory, G. (2006). Employment Law and Occupational Health: A Practical Handbook, Wiley-Blackwell  McQueen, D. and Kickbusch, I (2007). Health and Modernity. The Role of Theory in Health Promotion, Oakley, K. (2002). Occupational Health Nursing, Wiley-Blackwell Seedhouse, D. (1997). Health promotion: philosophy, prejudice & practice, New York: Wiley Smedley, J., Dick, F. and Sadhra, S. (2007). Oxford Handbook of Occupational Health, OUP Oxford Stanhope, M., and Lancaster, J. (2000). Community and Public Health Nursing, revised edition. St. Louis, MO: Mosby. WHO (1986). “First International Conference on Health Promotion” The Move Towards a New Public Health, Ottawa: Canadian Public Health Association Read More