Topic 2: Je Describe the roles of your local and state health departments in the accomplishment of healthcare promotion and goals. The role of the local and state health departments is to make sure everyone has good health. “Florida Health represents the vision that health belongs to everyone and every group—not just a state agency. It takes individuals, families, communities, and partnerships with local and state-level policy makers and stakeholders to create a culture of health in Florida” (floridahealth.gov, 2018). How do their goals of health promotion meet the objective of Healthy People 2020? I think everyone’s goal in general is for the public to be in good health. Being in good health can reduce the number of hospital admissions and prolong your life. Ways to spread the word are communication! Social media, interacting with others, and just being aware of what’s out there. For instance, what kinds of food are we putting into our bodies, are we drinking enough water, and is the environment less polluted with toxins that can harm us. How could nurses in the public health setting help clients to modify unhealthy behaviors at the primary and secondary prevention levels? Please provide an example for each prevention level. Primary prevention would be education. Examples include educating the community about eating healthy or the dangers of smoking. Secondary prevention would be reducing a disease or diagnosis. Having regular check-ups with the doctor or taking medicine pertinent to that disease would be examples.

Topic 1: Faith-Based Nursing

Review Healthy People 2020. Identify objectives that are amenable to parish nurse intervention.

• Describe how faith communities can contribute to the accomplishment of these national health objectives and accomplish the goal of improving the health of the public.

Faith communities play an essential role in accomplishing the goal of improving the health of the public. “From a socioecological perspective, churches can influence individual behaviors at multiple levels. The existence of social networks and social support through churches provides a context for health promotion programming. Health interventions that incorporate spiritual and cultural contextualization are effective to create change” (King, 2014). Faith communities provide many activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. Due to the strong beliefs in a faith communities make the people of those communities want to follow everything that is promoted by the activities. “Health messages may be perceived as more important and have a more lasting effect on individual behavioral change by making the link between healthy behavior and taking care of God’s child” (King, 2014).

• How can nurses working in the community form partnerships with parish nurses and faith communities?

It is important for nurses to work with parish nurses and faith communities because they have many free resources that you can provide to a patient in need. “In addition to participating in group and population activities, the FCN meets regularly with the pastoral staff and coordinates with other community leaders. Together, they identify individuals who may require further assessment or support; become aware of issues that need to be clarified, supported, or addressed; and identify individuals, groups, or issues that have not yet become a part of the congregational wellness program” (King, 2014). Working with these nurses will provide our patient with more resources to better their health.

• How would such partnerships be beneficial?

The partnership between parish nurses and other nurses play an important role in accomplishing the national health objectives. There partnership creates a better opportunity to increase awareness and provide valuable resources to those that need it.