Introduction
Community health is a confluence of economics, healthcare services, and social responsibilities. People residing in a given area share common health risks as well as economic and social conditions. Public health is a medical service that is highly concerned with the well-being of a given geographical area (Ada et al., 2019). For instance, a community can be exposed to transmissible diseases such as STDs, including syphilis. Community wellness programs are essential in promoting access to quality health care and services, reducing costs, and including a community in decision-making on treatment. Therefore, the refined and mutual awareness of the importance of public health can lead to advancing high accomplishment for the healthy community area marked by a good life and improved health.
Community Health Data Utilization
Community health data of a given geographical area helps in identifying and improving health needs. A nurse utilizes the collected community health data (CHD) to improve public health and prevent prevalent diseases. The health data helps nurses know the prevalent diseases, such as STDs, that require attention (Yoshioka-Maeda et al., 2020). Moreover, the public health data contains essential information on health determinants, such as occupation and socioeconomic status, that assist the nurse with the valuable context required to improve health education and interventions. The collected data allows public health officers and nurses to understand people’s needs and educate them on issues of unprotected sex.
Adapting Health Learning Materials
The information contained in the community health data about the collective medical history and also determinants of health, including environmental condition, housing, and income, is essential and allocated for nurses. Public health nurses understand that health learning for health promotion and disease prevention is only recommended when it is tailored to the unique needs of every population group in the community (Adam et al., 2019). However, nurses can adapt the health learning materials in different ways. For instance, when social media platforms are used for communication, nurses can educate youths and create awareness in a given community. Besides, health centers can conduct debates whereby people such as the elderly, pregnant, and nursing mothers visit health professionals to learn about syphilis and other STDs. Lastly, public health officers use printed materials with images to communicate and educate illiterate community members. Hence, healthcare nurses should cater to the community’s needs when adapting to health learning materials.
Recommendations on Changing Health Behaviors of the Clients
One way of helping clients make appropriate health decisions is by encouraging them to set relevant and attainable goals. This will assist the community in staying on their health track goals such as lifestyle, weight loss, and engaging in protected sex (Gunn & Klausner, 2019). Hence, as a healthcare practitioner, I should work with clients to achieve their targeted preventive goals and attain them. Clients can use diaries to monitor their progress and thus attain the set intervention goals.
Conclusion
Community wellness programs are significant in enlarging access to establishing public health programs and centers, reducing the cost of health care services, and including the community in decision-making on treatment. Nurses develop community health programs to create awareness and educate patients or the public concerning prevalent diseases and health risks, thus promoting the health and well-being of people. Therefore, community practitioners achieve cultural competency by using simple language to inform people and ensure they gain knowledge.
References
Adam, M., McMahon, S. A., Prober, C., & Bärnighausen, T. (2019). Human-centred design of video-based health education: an iterative, collaborative, community-based approach. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(1), e12128.
Gunn, R. A., & Klausner, J. D. (2019). Enhancing the control of syphilis among men who have sex with men by focusing on acute infectious primary syphilis and core transmission groups. Sexually transmitted diseases, 46(10), 629.
Yoshioka-Maeda, K., Shiomi, M., Katayama, T., Hosoya, N., Fujii, H., & Mayama, T. (2020, October). Factors reflecting community health needs to a local health planning program by public health nurses: A nationwide cross-sectional survey. APHA’s 2020 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting and Expo. American Public Health Association.