Week 1
Discussion

In this week’s media presentation, Dr. Louise Fitzpatrick
shared how health and disease are global issues. She pointed out that with the
mobility of today’s population, health issues experienced in one area of the
world are easily brought to other areas of the world through such means as travel
and immigration. They can also be brought to a nation’s doorstep through the
migration of animals, insects, and birds. Consider the spread of infectious
diseases such as HIV/AIDS, avian flu, H1N1, or SARS. These diseases have
quickly crossed oceans and spread to multiple countries. They are a public
health concern in the United States as well as other countries.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Reflect on Dr. Mancuso’s comments in this week’s media
presentation; specifically, on the role of the BSN nurse in public and global
health.

Select one health problem that you will use as a basis of
comparison between countries.

Identify one developed and one developing country.

Compare and contrast the health problems and countries you
selected with the United States in terms of World Health Organization (WHO)
outcomes. In your analysis, be sure to include information about workforce
availability to deal with the country’s disease burden.

Based on your examination of the research, how well is the
United States performing in terms of public health as compared to the developed
and developing countries you selected?

Think about what countries with worse outcomes could learn
from countries with better outcomes.

Think about why nurses should be concerned with global
health issues and what the role of the nurse should be in public health.

By Day 3

Post your analysis of one health problem between one
developed and one developing country in comparison with the United States in
terms of the WHO outcomes and criteria listed above. State your opinion about
how well the United States is doing in terms of public health. Share what you
think countries with worse outcomes could learn from countries with better
outcomes. Explain the nurse’s role in public and global health and why nurses
should be concerned with global health issues. Conclude by summarizing your
view of the role of the nurse in public health.

Support your response with references from the professional
nursing literature.

NURS4115
Role of the Nurse in Public and Global Health

Week 2
Discussion

Nurses Working to Improve the Socioeconomic Status of
Impoverished Citizens Through Government Actions

The influence of poverty on health is a problem that
transcends national borders. This week’s readings discussed some of the political,
economic, and ethical issues that lead to health disparities in developed and
developing countries. In addition, in this week’s first media presentation, Dr.
Mancuso and Dr. Huijer shared insights on working within political systems to
bring about positive changes in health care. Think about the importance of
nurses in addressing these needs and in bringing about change.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review the case study “Improving the Health of the Poor in
Mexico.” Then, prepare your response to the following questions:

How do politics and economics influence health and health
care?

What might the benefits be of awarding the mothers cash
grants?

What social problems might be created by giving the mothers
cash grants?

Do you think the resources were ethically distributed?
(Think about stereotyping.)

What changes do you think should be made to the program, if
any?

If the program were to be discontinued for any reason, what
could you, as a nurse, say that might help to maintain funding?

Do you think a similar program might work in your community?
Why or why not?

By Day 3

Post your response to the following prompts:

Explain how politics and economics may influence health and
the health care system from your own perspective. Analyze whether the political
and/or economic systems play a major role in your or your family’s access to
health and explain why. Then, describe how government intervention might
benefit a health care system. Be specific and provide examples.

Support your response with references from the professional
nursing literature.

Note Initial Post: A 3-paragraph (at least 350 words)
response. Be sure to use evidence from the readings and include in-text
citations. Utilize essay-level writing practice and skills, including the use
of transitional material and organizational frames. Avoid quotes; paraphrase to
incorporate evidence into your own writing. A reference list is required. Use
the most current evidence (usually ? 5 years old).

NURS4115
Role of the Nurse in Public and Global Health

Week 3
Discussion

Preventing Disease in Communities: The Role of Public
Health, the Silent Sentinel

Our “world” starts with our own community, county, and
state, then moves out in concentric rings from that point to include our
country and eventually the world. Disease is transmitted from person to person
through direct contact, or from a source such as a vector or contaminated water
through a variety of means, such as flood waters or even terrorist actions.
Individuals with limited or no knowledge of safe sex methods may have
unprotected sexual relations and knowingly or unknowingly transmit disease to
their partners, then to their partners’ partners, and on and on. Often it is
the role of the public health nurse to investigate a disease outbreak, contain
it, and then educate others so that the same situation doesn’t happen again.

In this Discussion, you will visit a site and interview
people who work there about risks for disease transmission, then report on your
findings.

To prepare, select which site you will visit from the
following options:

High school nurse’s office

Water treatment plant

Public health department

Pediatrician’s office

Create a brief description of your setting, providing some
context; for example, how many patients are seen, size or capacity of the
facility as applicable, and/or the location of the office or organization.

Take pictures of the building and surrounding
area/neighborhood to provide context. You do not have to include the interior/s
of the building/s or people/clients who may be there.

Then, during your site visit, pose the questions listed in
the following chart:

High school nurse

What is the school’s policy on giving students advice about
birth control?

How often do you get requests for information about birth
control or how to protect oneself from an STD?

How do you track vaccination compliance, and what happens to
students who fall out of compliance?

Local water treatment plant

Where does your community’s water come from?

Where is it stored?

How often is it tested for purity?

What safeguards are in place to prevent tampering with the
water supply?

Local public health department

Does this department have an STD clinic?

In addition to testing, does the department offer treatment
of one party or both parties?

What is the most frequently diagnosed STD?

A pediatrician’s office

What is your policy on accepting patients who refuse
vaccinations?

What are the most common reasons parents decline
vaccinations for their children in this particular office?

What is the policy at this office for giving antibiotics to
treat viral syndromes?

Now, look at the site you visited through the eyes of the
public health nurse (PHN). Imagine you are the PHN and have been asked to
investigate an outbreak at this facility.

What questions would you ask?

What suggestions could you make to avoid a disease outbreak
at the facility?

What would your role as a change agent be for any
deficiencies you find in your on-site inspection?

Compare and contrast the health problems in developed and developing country.

Compare and contrast the health problems in developed and developing country.

Compare and contrast the health problems in developed and developing country.

Compare and contrast the health problems in developed and developing country.

By Day 3

Post your brief description and pictures of the site you
visited. Share the answers you were given to the questions you posed. Then,
respond to the above prompts through the eyes of a PHN asked to investigate an
outbreak at this facility.

Support your response with references from the professional nursing
literature.

NURS4115
Role of the Nurse in Public and Global Health

Week 4
Discussion

Nurses Working to Prevent Disease at Home

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) (2016), a vaccination has not been found to prevent the Zika virus, a
disease that has been transmitted to humans through mosquito bites from
mosquitoes that are most active during the day. Zika has been found in many
countries around the globe, and its range is expanding. The symptoms of Zika
are generally mild, last about a week, and include fever, rash, joint pain,
and/or conjunctivitis. Symptoms are generally so mild that many victims will
not know they have been infected, but about 20% of those individuals who are
bitten will develop Zika. The most concerning symptom of Zika affects pregnant
women, whose babies may develop microcephaly.

In general, the CDC (2016) has recommended that people wear
long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outside and apply insect repellant
beforehand to avoid getting bitten. People who possibly have been infected with
the Zika virus are urged to use a condom during sexual contact to avoid
spreading the virus to others. In fact, some countries, such as El Salvador,
have recommended that women avoid pregnancy for the next two years (The New
York Times, 1/25/16). The CDC has also recommended that any vessels or
containers of open water be protected from access to mosquitoes so that
breeding cycles are disrupted. Brazil has begun a massive campaign to stop
mosquitoes from accessing breeding grounds by closing their access to water
collection systems and other sources of standing or still water. Could
something like the Zika virus begin in your neighborhood?

In this Discussion, you will examine your neighborhood
through the eyes of the public health nurse or a nurse epidemiologist.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Walk around a two-block radius near where you live or work.

Look to see if you can spot any areas where mosquitoes may
reproduce. These sites may include abandoned tires, rainwater collection
systems that have been installed at homes, parks or golf courses, low sections
at roadsides or near sidewalks, and the like. You may include pictures of sites
that you find to enhance your discussion thread.

Note any positive or negative findings that you observe.
Have steps been taken to prevent mosquito breeding?

Find out what your community health department does for
mosquito abatement.

Discover who in your community you would contact to report
deficiencies/negative findings.

Determine what you can do, as a PHN, to change policy to
reduce mosquito breeding grounds in your neighborhood.

By Day 3

Post your findings regarding mosquito breeding grounds in a
two-block radius near where you live or work. Include any preventative strategies
you can see that are already in place. Report on the role your local health
department plays in mosquito abatement and to whom you would report negative
findings. Then, describe your role as a BSN in changing policy to ensure a
healthier climate (reduced mosquito breeding grounds) in your neighborhood.

Support your response with references from the professional
nursing literature.

NURS4115
Role of the Nurse in Public and Global Health

Week 5
Discussion

Cultural Considerations in Nursing

Many factors influence maternal health. In many countries,
an unacceptable number of women die in childbirth or shortly after giving
birth. As discussed by Dr. Leslie Mancuso in this week’s first media
presentation, culture and religious beliefs influence childbirth practices.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review Case 6, “Saving Mothers’ Lives in Sri Lanka.”

Review Dr. Mancuso’s comments on cultural beliefs that
influence maternal health.

In addition, consider the following questions:

What cultural and historical features of Sri Lanka
contributed to the success of the country’s maternal health program?

What are some assumptions that a person might make about you
based on your appearance or cultural background? All cultural diversity is not
about ethnicity, religious affiliation, or traditional backgrounds. When you
consider what cultural issues affect you and/or your community, think about
whether you represent diversity of another kind, such as; rural versus urban,
east coast versus west coast, employed in a small hospital versus a large
research center, or providing nursing practice to young versus elderly, acute
care versus clinic care or mental health care. Each of these “types”
of diversity contribute to you as a person and how you practice nursing.

What cultural information would you want a nurse or doctor
to know about you?

What would you want a health promotion program to include
that addresses a health concern for your cultural or ethnic community?

By Day 3

Post your response to the following prompts:

After considering the different aspects of cultural beliefs
and practices, explain how culture influences health beliefs and how might most
health programs address these beliefs? Describe how you would apply this to
care you receive and care you provide to others.

Support your response with references from the professional
nursing literature.

NURS4115
Role of the Nurse in Public and Global Health

Week 6
Discussion

Obesity: A Global Health Concern

Obesity is a continuing challenge for citizens and health
care providers in the United States, as you likely know. Obesity can lead to
numerous chronic health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Childhood diabetes is also increasing at a disconcerting rate, which will lead
to an increased health care burden within a few short years. Current estimates
set the cost of obesity on the U.S. health care system at $147–$210 billion per
year (The State of Obesity, 2016). Think about this week’s media as you take a
moment to consider obesity as a burgeoning global challenge.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Compare rates of obesity in the United States to other
developed and also developing countries. Think about how health issues
resulting from obesity compare as well.

Reflect on health promotion and prevention strategies that
nurses can implement.

Contemplate the ethical, cultural, economic, political, and
environmental issues a nurse should consider when developing a primary obesity
health prevention strategy.

By Day 3

Post an obesity health promotion and prevention strategy a
nurse could implement for a specific cultural group in the United States. Then,
modify your message for use in one other country, being sensitive to the
cultural nuances of the country you select. Describe why you chose to take the approach
you did in your strategies and explain any challenges you anticipate a nurse
may encounter when trying to implement these strategies.

Support your response with references from the professional
nursing literature.

Compare and contrast the health problems in developed and developing country.

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