Health Concepts Part I: Understanding Wellness

Part I: Concept of Man

• Health (WHO definition): A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease.
• Personal health perspective: Defined by how a person feels, presence/absence of symptoms, and ability to perform activities; it's a dynamic and changing phenomenon.
• Health continuum: Health exists on a continuum, subject to gradual or abrupt changes, influenced by adaptive energy, genetics, and environment.
• Stressors: Internal or external, potentially harmful or beneficial, impacting physical, emotional, and social well-being; tolerance varies among individuals.
• Wellness maintenance: Individual's ideas, attitudes, and knowledge about health maintenance impact wellness levels.
• Adaptation to environment: Conscious and unconscious adaptation to environmental factors is necessary; the effectiveness of adaptation determines required assistance to maintain equilibrium.
• Individuals as systems: Individuals react holistically to stressors affecting any aspect of health; they are complex, open systems comprised of interconnected subsystems.
• Client needs & care determination: Clients have various basic needs—physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual—that must be addressed.
• Health problems/illness: Health problems are abnormal processes characterized by a change in a person's functional level compared to a past level; they are subjective, and only the person can determine if they're ill. They are synonymous with disease but not always caused by disease.
• Acute illness: Characterized by rapid onset and short duration; symptoms appear and subside quickly. Intervention may be necessary depending on the cause.
• Chronic illness: Lasts for extended periods (6 months or more), often a lifetime; may have slow onset, periods of remission (symptoms disappear) and exacerbation (symptoms reappear).

Factors Influencing Health & Illness (WHO)

• Social and Economic Environment:
• Income & social status: Higher status correlates with better health.
• Education: Lower education is linked to poorer health, more stress, and lower self-esteem.
• Social support: Strong family, friend, and community networks contribute to better health.
• Culture: Customs, traditions, and beliefs impact health.
• Health services: Accessibility and use of disease prevention and treatment services influence health.
• Physical Environment: Safe water, clean air, healthy workplaces, safe homes, and communities all contribute to good health. Safe employment and working conditions are crucial.
• Individual Characteristics & Behaviors:
• Genetics: Predisposition to health conditions.
• Personal behavior & coping skills: Influence health and well-being.
• Gender: Men and women experience different diseases at different ages.

Stages of Health Seeking Behavior (Igun)

• A sequential process characterized by:
• Symptom experience
• Self-treatment/self-medication
• Communication to others
• Symptom assessment
• Sick-role assumption
• Concern
• Efficacy of treatment
• Treatment selection
• Treatment
• Treatment effectiveness assessment
• Recovery and rehabilitation

Health Care Delivery Systems (HDS)

• Health care system: Organized people, institutions, and resources that deliver health care to target populations.
• HDS description: The organized societal response to population health problems.
• Levels of Prevention:
• Primary: Health promotion, disease prevention (e.g., immunization, smoking cessation, health education).
• Secondary: Diagnosis and early treatment (e.g., screenings like mammograms, pap tests, Mantoux).
• Tertiary: Rehabilitation, health restoration, palliative care (e.g., rehabilitation after stroke).

Factors Influencing Health Care Delivery

• Cost: A major driver for changes in the system, motivating managed care plans, outpatient treatments, and shorter hospital stays.
• Access: Limited access often leads to crisis-oriented and fragmented care.
• Safety and quality: Inappropriate substitution of unqualified personnel for nurses impacts safety and quality.

Part II: Nursing as a Profession

• Profession vs. Job/Occupation: A profession possesses specific criteria (e.g., body of knowledge, ongoing research) that elevate it beyond a job or occupation; not all occupations are professions.
• Professionalism: Attributes (responsibility, commitment) that define a professional in the job and life.
• Professionalization: The process of acquiring professional characteristics.
• Professional Nurse Qualifications/Abilities:
• Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
• Licensure: Required to practice.
• Physical/mental fitness: Necessary for safe practice.
• Professional qualities: Warm personality, emotional balance, concern for people.
• Resourcefulness & creativity: Required to deliver effective care.
• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with others.
• Self-improvement: Continual development of skills and knowledge.
• Nursing process expertise: Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation.
• Decision-making, communication, interpersonal skills.
• Research orientation: Utilizing research in practice.
• Advocacy & participation: Addressing professional issues, protecting patients' rights.

Roles Basic to Nursing Care

• Caregiver: Holistic care addressing psychosocial, developmental, cultural, and spiritual needs.
• Clinical Decision Maker: Utilizing clinical reasoning skills, nursing process.
• Client Advocate: Protects clients' legal and human rights.
• Rehabilitator: Assisting clients to return to optimal functioning.
• Comforter: Providing care directed to the whole person.
• Communicator: Crucial for effective care (interaction with clients, families, teams).
• Teacher/Educator: Explaining health concepts, procedures, and reinforcing learning.

Fields of Nursing

• Hospital nursing

• Community health nursing

• School health nursing

• Occupational health nursing

• Independent nursing practice

• Nursing education

• Private duty nursing

• Military or service nursing

• Clinic nursing

• Entrepreneurial nursing

• Advanced practice nursing

Specific Details of Nursing Fields (e.g., Hospital Nursing, Community Health Nursing)

Different nursing fields vary in their emphasis, responsibilities, work environments, advantages, and disadvantages. Specific details are provided for each area.