GCU NRS428VN Topic 1 Community/Public Health Nursing
Epidemiology Paper
Topic 2 DQ 1
What are social determinants of health? Explain how social determinants of health contribute to the development of disease. Describe the fundamental idea that the communicable disease chain model is designed to represent. Give an example of the steps a nurse can take to break the link within the communicable disease chain.
Resources within your text covering international/global health, and the websites in the topic materials, will assist you in answering this discussion question.
Re: Topic 2 DQ 1 Example
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people are born into, live, learn, work, play, worship and age in that affect their health, functioning and quality of life outcomes and risks. The five groups that SDOH can be categorized into are economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment and social and community.
Examples of SDOH include housing, transportation, neighborhoods, racism, violence, education, job opportunities, income, access to food and physical activity opportunities, condition of air and water, language and literacy skills (U.S Department of Health and Human Services et al., n.d.). Poor conditions such as unsanitary housing, solitary, limited sources to food, water and health care contribute to the development of disease (Green, 2018). For example, those who don’t have access to good nutrition will raise their risk of health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and obesity and lower life expectancy (U.S Department of Health and Human Services et al., n.d.). GCU NRS428VN Topic 1: Community/Public Health Nursing
The communicable disease chain model is designed to demonstrate the process of disease transmission. A reservoir is a compatible setting in which the agent can live and exist in like a house. The agent then can move out of the reservoir through a portal of exit through coughing, sneezing, blood, feces or mucus. Then through a mode of transmission an agent can transfer from portal of exit to a host via direct or indirect contact, ingestion or inhalation. Once a host is reached the agent will need a portal of entry.
Skin openings, mucous membranes and body orifices are all portal of entries. The last link of the chain for an infection to result is for the host to be susceptible to the agent’s pathogen. Susceptible hosts are usually those that are fragile or compromised like babies, the elderly, unhealthy or ill persons (Green, 2018). If a nurse can break any link within the chain of infection, they can prevent the occurrence of infection.
A nurse that keeps hands free from cuts or abrasions prevents infectious agents from entering their body. Administering immunizations to pediatric patients helps boost their immunity against specific diseases. Instructing a tuberculosis positive patient to wear a mask outside of room stops transmission and risk of spread as the agent is unable to exit (Grand Canyon University, n.d.). These are just some examples of how a nurse can break links within the communicable disease chain.
References:
Green, S. Z. (2018). Epidemiology and Global Health. In Grand Canyon University (Ed.), Community and public health: The future of health care. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs427vn/community-and-public-health-the-future-of-health-care/v1.1/#/chapter/1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.). Social Determinants of Health. Healthy People 2030. Retrieved from https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health
Grand Canyon University (GCU). (n.d.). Chain of Infection. http://lc.gcumedia.com/nsg403c/chain-of-infection/chain-of-infection-v1.1.html
Topic 2 DQ 2
Select a global health issue affecting the international health community. Briefly describe the global health issue and its impact on the larger public health care systems (i.e., continents, regions, countries, states, and health departments). Discuss how health care delivery systems work collaboratively to address global health concerns and some of the stakeholders that work on these issues.
Resources within your text covering international/global health, and the websites in the topic materials, will assist you in answering this discussion question.