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Nurses focus on emergence and re-emergence of communicable diseases is to help the client deal with the impact of the disease while ensuring that members of the community are protected. The strategic place of the nurse in public immunization, maintaining the cold chain, nutrition/dietary advice and education on healthful sexual practices are conceivable benefit that appears yet to be fully explored.
Likewise, while it may not be news that close to three-quarter of the world’s death is caused by non-communicable diseases, it maybe heartwarming to share that various nurse–led initiative are already in place to reduce these deaths.
Gains from this might include and not limited to enhanced data collection mechanism on NCDs, resulting in better cardiovascular disease and diabetes monitoring/treatment; reduced need for amputation of gangrenous limbs as well as improved community participation in exercise and nutrition programmes (Kennedy 2018; WHO 2017).
In this light, can the nurse be an effective team leader? Ability to coordinate health services at the primary, secondary and tertiary level places her in leadership. These roles require a relatively high degree of education and autonomy. Certainly, by virtue of being a clinician, educator and researcher, she could be aptly equipped to lead the war against diseases in the family (Damron et al 2016).
PLACE OF THE NURSE IN CHANGING FAMILY STRUCTURE
How can the nurse project the health of the family?
Firstly, there might be need to appreciate the developmental theory of the family. That is the family passes through developmental stages and each stage has unique needs. Hence, the nurse works with a defined population that is important both now and the future. Diseases of adulthood and emotional problems have been found to have their origin early in life, accordingly addressing the family as a unit may well ease this task (Thurtle and Akamo 2005; Kaakinen 2004).
Secondly, nurses help the family to navigate through the various stages of health, integrating all aspects of health to support enjoyment of life and peaceful death. Asian people tend to value the maintenance of their culture and values/norms. As the aging population is increasing, nurses appear well suited to teach family members how to care for their aged, empowering them to render holistic care (Taib et al 2106; Ambigga et a 2011). Nevertheless, the nurse practitioner’s role in the hospital caring for those with chronic medical conditions or acute illnesses has improve clinically, with different specialties to meet the divergent patient needs.
BARRIERS TO FAMILY HEALTH PROMOTION
How can the nurse help families to overcome challenges to optimum health? For a start, the nurse might need to increase her knowledge of the various trends in disease and patient management. For you cannot give what you don’t have. If degree qualification in nursing is made the baseline for nurses across board, it will improve self–confidence of the nurse and increase patient trust in her capability to help him attain his health goal. As healthcare challenges are increasing on one hand, so are legal issues around nursing. Perhaps nurses will do well to acquire ethical and legal education in order to protect themselves and promote commitment to health of individuals throughout their life (Nemie 2009).
Next, religion culture and tradition appear to be a major challenge to a social and economically productive life. For instance, a Type 1 insulin-dependent Muslim patient may believe insulin is produced from pork. The client need not to be treated in isolation of his believes. Identify those believes and misconceptions, counsel and walk through their fears to allow them come to terms and adhere with treatment (Lee et al2012). A third concern is the importance of using simple language while communicating with client. For a school nurse, the language of the students must be simple. It might be imperative to often repeat instruction to a mother attending antenatal to ensure clarity in each visit.
INFLUENCING POLICY THAT PROMOTE FAMILY HEALTH
Can nurses influence policies to achieve family health? Nurses appear to be very good at lobbying their client to take drugs or adhere to treatment. The nurse can use same approach to lobby for relevant policies that could promote her work. The future of health policies may depend on influence from nurse’s ability to sponsor representatives to political positions, function