Public Health Nursing: General Concepts

Course Information

• The course is NURSING
• The course code and name is HEY442ET-PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING-T
• The course is currently in WEEK 1
• The course day is Thursday from 09:00 to 12:50
• The course credit is 4 ACTS
• The examination type is MCQs
• The instructor is Dr. Hina Zahoor
• Reach the instructor by email at [email protected]
• The instructor's room number is 305
• Office hours are from 9:00 to 5:00
• GBS link: https://gbs.gelisim.edu.tr/en/lesson-details-5-160-17306-2
• ALMS Link: https://avesis.gelisim.edu.tr/researcher/lesson
• AVESIS Link: https://lms.gelisim.edu.tr/almsp/u/Home/Index

Course Content (14 Weeks)

• Week 1: General Concepts and Definitions in Public Health
• Week 2: Public Health Nursing and Historical Development
• Week 3: Organisation of Health Services and General Health Problems in Turkey.
• Week 4: Health Protection Levels
• Week 5: Early Diagnosis, Screening and Health Promotion
• Week 6: Community Identification, Community Communication and Health Education
• Week 7: Family Health Nursing and Home Visits Process
• Week 8: MID-TERM EXAM
• Week 9: School Health Services and School Health Nursing
• Week 10: Elderly Health Nursing
• Week 11: Home Care Nursing
• Week 12: Occupational Health and Nursing
• Week 13: Environmental Health
• Week 14: Control of Infectious Diseases
• Week 15: Community Mental Health, Risky Groups in the Community

Weekly Learning Outcomes

• Aims to provide knowledge and skills for basic principles and practices of Public Health Nursing
• Explains Turkey's health system and policies
• Details the responsibilities of public health nurses
• Applies the nursing process at all protection levels for individuals, families, and society
• Examines public health across age groups
• Evaluates the field's educational requirements
• Explains basic public health concepts

Course Policies and Expectations

• Attendance is mandatory for all lectures
• Be punctual for all scheduled classes
• Avoid talking to friends during class
• Mobiles phones are not allowed

General Concepts and Definitions in Public Health

• The lesson will detail general concepts and definitions in public health

Daily Flow

• 09.00-09.50 (1st Hour): Concept of health, public health, and the mission of public health
• 10.00-10.50 (2nd Hour): The difference between healthcare and public health, plus core disciplines
• 11.00-11.50 (3rd Hour): Early names of Public health, its functions, and activities
• 12.00-12.50 (4th Hour): Achievements of Public health, public health professionals, and current public health issues

What is health?

• Health is when individuals are active without disease symptoms
• Health a state of wellbeing and freedom from disease (Oxford students dictionary, 1991)
• Health is the state of physical bodily organs
• Health ensures the ability of the body to function
• Health means freedom from defined diseases

The Concept of Health

• Health depends on individuals culture, values, and lifestyles.
• The state of health is dynamic
• Health is personal and subjective
• Health is how individuals feels about self and environment

Health Definition

• Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing (WHO, 1948)
• Limitations include impossibility of achieving health, inability to measure wellbeing, and the need for healthcare access

Definitions of Public Health

• Public health is the science of preventing disease by promoting health through organized societal efforts
• It includes informing and engaging public and private communities
• The effort to promote, protect, and preserve governmental activities to the people's health

Public Health Definitions

• Public health is defined as promoting health through organized community effort (CEA Winslow, 1920)
• It is engaging international resources to assure conditions for people to achieve health (Oxford Textbook of Public Health)
• Public health provides organized conditions in which people can stay healthy
• Institute of Medicine Report (IOM). THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HEALTH. Washington DC: National Academy Press. 1988 notes that public health can assure healthy populations.
• Public health saves millions of lives via single intervention or decision

The Mission of Public Health

• Public Health fulfills society's interests in assuring conditions for healthy populations (Detels & Breslow, 2002)

Core Public Health Disciplines

• Behavioral Science: Examine human and animal behavior
• Health Services Administration: Plan medical and health services
• Environmental Health: Focus on natural and built human benefits
• Epidemiology: Study the patters of health and conditions in populations
• Biostatistics: Provide the statistical methods and principles to Biology

Social and behavioral sciences in public health

• Impacts social, cultural, psychological, and behavioral factors on health outcomes.
• Promotes healthier lifestyles via expertise in behavior, attitudes, and beliefs
• Experts develop community engagement programs

Health policy and management

• Strategic planning, organization, and administration of health systems
• Professionals navigate healthcare ensuring resource distribution, policy developments, affordability, and equity

Environmental health

• Concerned with the relations between the environment and human health, including air water quality, sanitation, and food safety
• Mitigates environmental risks, advocates for cleaner environments, & safeguards communities

Epidemiology

• Epidemiology is the foundation of public health
• It studies disease patterns and impacts on populations
• Experts identify disease determinants
• Through data uncover outbreaks, control diseases, guide policies and vaccination programs

Biostatistics

• Interprets health-related data through statistical methods
• Facilitating the design of complex studies and outcomes
• Using statistical models the area can identify trends and data
• Accuracy and reliability of findings are ensured through collaboration

Early Public Health Names

• Preventive medicine
• Social medicine
• Community medicine
• Community health
• Now dimensions of Public Health

Preventive Medicine

Preventive medicine stems in USA Dominated by the medical profession Concerned with the prevention of infectious diseases

"Social Medicine"

• Traces roots to France, Germany, Belgium, and other European countries
• It is based in the medical profession
• Focuses on role of social factors on the etiology of disease, and the need for government measures.

"Community Medicine"

• It is widely practiced in the United States as a replacement for "social medicine
• Delivery of comprehensive health care is provided by medical professionals and encompasses promotive, preventive and curative health services

10 Essential Public Health Services

• Assess and monitor population health
• Diagnose and address health hazards and root causes
• Communicate effectively to inform and educate
• Support communities and partnerships
• Create and implement policies, plans, and laws
• Utilize legal and regulatory actions
• Enable equitable access
• Build a diverse and skilled workforce
• Improve and innovate via evaluation, research, and quality
• Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure

Core Activities of Public Health

• Prevent epidemics
• Protect from hazards
• Assist recoveries
• Prevent injuries
• Promote behaviors
• Assure service quality
• Monitor populations
• Mobilize communities
• Reach high-risk populations
• Develop innovative solutions
• Lead health policy
• Humanitarian response

Examples of Fields of Public Health

• Includes first responders, restaurant inspectors, and educators.
• Scientists, researchers, community planners, nutritionists, and social workers are included.
• Epidemiologists, physicians, policymakers, nurses, sanitarians, and occupational health professionals.

Core Public Health Achievements

• Include vaccinations, motor vehicle safety, and safer workplaces
• Achieves control of infectious diseases, decline in deaths and healthier foods.
• Supports healthier life for mothers and children, fluoridation, and the awareness of tobacco usage.

What do Public Health Professionals Do?

• Monitor community
• Diagnose and investigate health problems
• Inform, educate, and empower people
• Mobilize community partnerships
• Develops policies and plans
• Enforce laws and regulations
• Links to personal health services
• Ensures a competent workforce
• Evaluates service effectiveness, accessibility, and quality
• Conducts research for innovative solutions

Why is Public Health important?

• It fights off the biggest killers of humans
• Public Health is preventative
• It helps detect health issues as early as possible
• It is diverse and does not focus on individual level

Public Health Approach

• Define the problem
• Identify risk and protective factors
• Develop and test prevention strategies
• Assure widespread adoption

Public Health Problems and Diseases

• Includes communicable and non-communicable diseases
• Include environmental pollution, maternal and child health, and malnutrition issues.
• Addresses municipal and hospital waste, geriatric and other population problems

Recommended daily materials

• Guler, C., Akin, L. (2015). Public Health Basics. Ankara: Hacettepe University Press.
• Erci, B. (2014). Public Health Nursing. Ankara: Göktuğ Publishing.
• Fadıloğlu, Ç., Erdem, B., Ayka, F.Ş. (2013). Home Health and Care. Amasya: Göktuğ Press Publishing.

Next week's topic is:

• Public Health Nursing and Historical Development