Public-Health-Science-and-Nursing-Practice-Caring-for-Population

Public health and nursing go hand in hand. In the 2010 Future of Nursing report by the Institute of Medicine, the rationale for setting a goal that 80% of all nurses would hold a bachelor of science degree in nursing included the importance of demonstrated competencies in public health as key to the practice of nursing. As nurses, we apply public health science on a daily basis as we strive to prevent disease; reduce mortality and morbidity in those who are ill; and contribute to the health of the communities we serve. Our goal is to lead you on the journey of discovering how the public health sciences are an integral part of nursing practice and how nurses implement effective public health interventions. About this Book This book presents public health in a way that captures the adventure of tackling health from a community- and population-based perspective. Public health helps us to answer the question “Why is this happening?” and implement interventions that improve the health of populations. Public health issues are usually messy, real-world problems that do not always have obvious solutions. You will learn through the examples provided how to gather the needed information to understand important health issues, especially those included in Healthy People 2020. You will have an opportunity to explore populationlevel, evidence-based interventions and learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. We aim t provide you with the knowledge needed to achieve the competencies in public health increasingly needed by professional nurses across multiple settings. You will be provided with numerous examples of how public health nurses integrate nursing and public health, with a focus on promoting the health of populations. The application of public health knowledge in the provision of care and the prevention of disease is not new to the nursing profession. Florence Nightingale is often viewed as the first nurse epidemiologist because o her work in the Crimean War. She applied public health science to nursing practice in a way that saved lives and improved outcomes both in the context of war and back in England with the development of professional nursing in hospital and home settings. As nurses practicing in the 21st century, we follow in her footsteps. Consider nurses working in primary care with mothers and children or those working in low-income countries facing epidemics of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. How does knowledge of public health science enhance our ability to address these complex health issues? Before we can improve health outcomes, we must understand the natural history of disease, the social context in which these health issues arise, and the resources critical to addressing all of the barriers to care. Knowledge of public health and how it applies to nursing practice has taken on increased importance as we move from a fee-for-service model of care to a health-care system that rewards prevention of disease. Nurses providing direct clinical care must have knowledge of pharmacology, pathophysiology, and physical health assessment. Because nurses also provide care to communities and populations, they must also know how to apply the basics of the public health sciences such as epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health. They must also meet the Qua