Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Capacity-Building Strategies (Part 4)

community level

- often the location of health prevention and health promotion programs

- a significant and enriching venue for obtaining positive health outcomes

patient education

a series of planned teaching-learning activities designed for individuals, families or groups with an identified alteration in health

patient education

Its purpose are to aid the client in coping with the event, to prevent complications or deterioration of the client's condition, and in cases of communicable diseases, to prevent transmission.

patient education

examples:

- Instructing the mother how to prepare and administer oral

rehydrating solution to a child with diarrhea,;

- Teaching the family of a patient diagnosed with Pulmonary

Tuberculosis measures to prevent transmission; and

- Conducting a group teaching session on diabetic care.

Roles and Activities of the Nurse in the Community

- Advocate

- Caregiver

- Case manager

- Collaborator

Roles and Activities of the Nurse in the Community

- Community care agent

- Consultant

- Counselor

- Culture broker

Roles and Activities of the Nurse in the Community

- Educator

- Facilitator of health-promoting behaviors

- Information agent and broker

- Innovator

Roles and Activities of the Nurse in the Community

- Liaison

- Mediator

- Navigator

- Negotiator

Roles and Activities of the Nurse in the Community

- Policy analyst, policy maker, or change agent

- Promoter of collaborative partnerships

- Promoter of self-care and self-efficacy

- "Recognizer" of the dimensions of health choices

Roles and Activities of the Nurse in the Community

- Referral resource

- Researcher

- Sensitizer

- Social activist

Basic Principles of an Effective Nurse

1. Message

2. Format

3. Environment

4. Experience

5. Participation

6. Evaluation

Message

- send a clear message to the learner;

- information must be presented in an understandable manner to the learner; and

- Nurse needs to consider factors that may affect the learners ability to receive and retain the information.

Format

- select the most appropriate learning format or strategy; and

- strategy must match the objectives of the learning activity and the characteristics of the learner

Environment

- create the best possible conducive learning environment;

- must be applied from the start (time nurses composes invitation to the learning activity);

- create a therapeutic and supportive relationship with the learner;

Environment

- foster positive interpersonal relationship in a group setting; and

- structured environment, the nurse should attend to the administrative aspects of the learning environment by providing schedules and materials.

Experience

- organize positive and meaningful experiences; and

- sequencing of materials in a logical manner from simple to complex concepts.

Participation

- engage the learner in participatory learning; and

- Nurse encourages learner's participation by involving them in the discussion/active involvement.

Evaluation

- evaluate and give objective feedback to the learner;

- using tools such as quizzes, individual conferences and return demonstration the Nurse may monitor and evaluate learning outcomes;

Evaluation

- knowing the degree of attainment motivates the learner to continue learning; and

- Nurse is able to identify areas of instruction that may need to be modified.

Health Education

works in bringing about a change in attitude and behavior

strategies and tools in health education

- printed materials

- AV presentations

- face-to-face

- lecture-discussions

- demonstrations and return demonstrations

- online sources

Effectiveness of Health Education

- various strategies and tools

- Individual characteristics of learners

- The presence of support system in the family, in learning group and in the community reinforces the practice of learned health behaviors

Primary Health Care

has emphasized the role of the community in promotion, maintenance and restoration of health of its members

Community Health Workers

- should be members in the communities where they work

- should be selected by the communities

- should be answerable to the communities for their activities

Community Health Workers

- should be supported by the health system but necessarily part of the organization

- have shorter training than professional workers

Barangay Health Workers

- CHWs in the Philippines

-

Public Health Nurse

- supervisor of nursing auxiliary personnel

- participates in training volunteers who can work as BHWs

BHWs requisite competencies

- communication, interpersonal, teaching, organizational and advocacy skills

- must also possess knowledge about the community, health issues such as common illness and communicable diseases, and available resources including the referral system

BHWs requisite competencies

must also be trained in providing health services, such as basic health assessment and simple remedies for common health concerns

Health Assessment Training

includes

- vital signs taking

- physical assessment

- simple differential diagnostic techniques particularly for areas where professional health workers are not accessible

- evidence-based home remedies for diarrhea, acute respiratory infections and febrile conditions

BHW Training

By law:

- Through the DOH BHW Formal Course (DOH BHW Reference Manual)

- BHWs have specialized training like TESDAs Barangay Health Services NC II

- Pending in the Senate and Congress is the law passed by Congressman Duke Frasco of the 5th district of Cebu "Community Health Workers Education and Training Program, increasing compensation and other benefits for the BHWs".