Unit 1 - Health Chapters??

Individual Health: individual perceptions encompass the way the individual interprets the

environment or situation, directly effecting how he/she thinks, feels, and acts in any given

situation. Each patient is unique

Holism: Keep the whole person in mind and strive to understand how one area of concern

relates to the whole person. Nurses want to achieve overall harmony. Example: patient is

grieving the loss of his spouse, how is that loss effecting the patient as a whole person?

Appetite, sleep, energy, mood, relationships.

Dynamic Equilibrium/Homeostasis (Relative constancy of the internal processes of the body-

physiological equilibrium or balance through adaptation to the environment) blood oxygen,

CO2, temperature, glucose, and fluid and electrolyte balance. Remaining relatively constant.

Physiologic Homeostasis: means that the internal environment of the body is relatively stable

and constant.

Homeostasis mechanisms have four main characteristics:

1. They are self-regulating

2. They are compensatory

3. They tend to be regulated by negative feedback systems

4. They may require several feedback mechanisms to correct only one physiologic

imbalance.

Self-regulation: means that homeostatic mechanisms come into play automatically in the

healthy person. If a person is ill, or an organ is injured the homeostatic mechanisms may not be

able to respond to stimulus as they would normally.

Compensatory: counterbalancing, they tend to counteract conditions that are abnormal for the

person. Example: sudden drop in the air temperature, the blood vessel constrict, and shivering

may occur to keep the body temperature warm.

System: a set of interacting identifiable parts or components.

Boundary: such as the skin in the human system, is a real or imaginary line that differentiates

one system to another system or a system from its environment.

Closed System: does not exchange energy, matter, or information with its environment. It

receives no input and gives no output of information.

Open System: Energy, matter, and information move into and out of the system through the

system’s boundary. Plants, animals, humans, families, communities are all open systems

because they depend on a continuous exchange of energy. (Continuous exchange of energy

With environment)

Input: Consists of information, material, or energy that enters the system. After the input is

absorbed by the system it is processed in a way useful to the system. This transformation is

called Throughput. Food is put into the digestive system, and it is digested (throughput)

Output: from a system is energy, matter, or information given out by the system because of its

processes. Output from the digestive system in caloric energy, nutrients, urine, and feces.

Feedback: is the mechanism by which some of the output of a system is returned to the system

as input. Feedback enables a system to regulate itself by redirecting the output back into the

system.

Negative Feedback: inhibits change senses and counteracts any deviations from the normal.

Positive Feedback: stimulates change

Psychologic homeostasis: refers to emotional or psychologic balance or state of mental

wellbeing.

Developmental Stage Theories: categorizes a person’s behaviors or tasks into approximate age

ranges or in terms that describe features of an age group. The age ranges do not take into

consideration individual differences, the age ranges describe characteristics associated with

majority of the group.

Healthy People 2020 and now 2030 emphasize health promotion and disease prevention. The

foundation for Healthy People is the belief that individual health is closely linked to community

health and the reverse.

Defining Health Promotion: health promotion, primary prevention, health protection, and

illness prevention. These terms are difficult to separate as they usually overlap each other

especially health promotion and health protection/prevention. Example a man walking 3 miles

a day to help with cardio health which would be health protection/prevention, but if he’s

walking for overall health, it would be health promotion.

Interventions and strategies that address health issues on many levels, these levels include

individuals, families, communities, schools, work sites and diverse populations. Health

promotion needs to be implemented at all levels based on evidence and address the social

determinants of health.

Prevention is avoiding the development of disease in the future.

1. Primary Prevention: focuses on health promotion and protection against specific health

problems. Example immunization against Hepatitis B

2. Secondary Prevention: focuses on early identification of health problems and prompt

intervention to alleviate health problems and identify individuals in an early-stage

disease process and to limit future disability.

3. Tertiary Prevention: Focuses on restoration and rehabilitation with the goal of returning

the individual to an optimal level of functioning.

WHO (1948) “State of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the

absence of disease or infirmity”,

Nightingale, 1860’s: “state of being well; using every power ...to fullest extent...”

American Nurses Association, 1980, 2004: “dynamic state” (always changing), “potential

realized”; “experience”; “wellness/illness, not disease or injury” (the way you live)

- Health is a highly individualized perception.

- Nurses need to be aware of their own personal definition of health and appreciate that

others also have their own definition.

- Individual’s definition/perception of health influences behavior related to health and

illness.

- Nurses can help others maintain, regain, or attain a state of health

Many people describe health as being free from symptoms of disease and pain, being able to be

active and to do what they want or must and being in good spirits most of the time.

Population health: lifespan wellness and disease experiences of aggregate groups of people

residing in local, state, national, or international geographic regions or those populations with

common characteristics. Includes aspects of public health, healthcare delivery systems, and

determinants of wellness and illness, emphasizing promotion, restoration, and maintenance of

wellness and prevention of disease.

Models of Health and Wellness

1. Clinical Model: Individuals are viewed as physiologic systems with related functions, and

health is defined by the absence of signs and symptoms of disease or injury.

2. Role Performance Model: health is defined in terms of an individual’s ability to fulfill

societal roles. That is to perform his or her work.

3. Adaptive Model: health is a creative process; disease is a failure in adaption or

maladaptation. The aim of treatment is to restore the ability of the individual to adapt

that is to cope.

4. Eudaimonistic Model: Health is seen as a condition of actualization or realization of an

individual’s potential. Self-actualization and illness prevents that.

5. Agent Host Environment (Ecologic) Model: this model is used in predicting illness rather

than in promoting wellness, although identifying risk factors that result from

interactions of agent-host-environment are helpful in promoting health.

a. Agent: any environment factor or stressor that can lead to illness or disease

b. Host: The Individual

c. Environment: all factors external to the host that may or may not predispose the

individual to the development of disease.

Health-Illness Scales: measure an

individual’s perceived level of wellness. They can move back and forth from very good health to poor health and eventually death. How they and other view them is where they would land on the scale.

·       human responses are on a continuum that ranges from wellness to illness

·       people are integrated beings (biophysical, psychological, sociocultural, developmental,

·       environmental dimensions)

·       continually interact with the environment

·       nurses assist people in moving as far as possible in the direction of wellness

1. Biophysical: Genetic makeup, sex, age, and developmental level. Sex linked diseases,

gallbladder, lupus, thyroid is more common in women. Physiological: function in the

body

2. Psychological: emotional, how they feel about themselves, how they balance

themselves

3. Environmental/Physical: Urban/Suburban pollution

4. Developmental: lifespan birth to death as we age more Comorbidities preexisting

illnesses. More medications as we get older. Polypharmacy: too many medications.

Older adults = declining immune response, young (babies) prone to disease and

infection because they have an immature immune response.

5. Socio-Cultural/Spiritual: lifestyle, habits, cultures eat different foods, exercise habits,

family support, spirituality improves health.

MICA: mental illness with chemical addition

Components of Wellness in A Unified Being: Wellness = state of wellbeing (there all

connecting, they all impact wellness)

1. Physical: Body systems, cardio, pulm, nervous, muscular, endocrine

2. Emotional: express emotions appropriately, ability to manage stress

3. Social: develop and maintain intimate relationships, ability to interact with people in the

environment successfully

4. Environmental: ability to promote the standard of living within the community

5. Occupational: ability to achieve balance between work and leisure

6. Intellectual: Ability to learn and use information

7. Spiritual: Religion believing in a higher power/force to provi

Inflammatory Response:

Inflammation is a local and nonspecific defensive response of the tissue to an injurious

or infectious agent. It destroys or dilutes the injurious agent, prevents, further spread of the

injury, and promotes the repair of damaged tissue.

5 Characteristics of Inflammation

1. Pain

2. Swelling

3. Redness

4. Heat

5. Impaired function of the part if injury is severe.