Topic 1: Child and Adolescent Health Risks

As you discovered in this week’s lectures and readings, several populations face multiple health risks across their lifespan. Children and adolescents are a population that is at a higher health risk for obesity. A national movement is underway to reduce risk factors for developing obesity in children. Part of this movement is the “Let’s Move!” campaign, which is a comprehensive and coordinated initiative to prevent childhood obesity. The initiative emphasizes four primary components: healthy schools, access to affordable and healthy food, raising children’s physical activity levels, and empowering families to make healthy choices. Review Healthy People 2020:

• Identify risk factors for childhood obesity.
• Do the risk factors differ and how do they differ between children and adolescents? 
• Identify objectives that will combat childhood and adolescent obesity.
• Provide suggestions on how community health nurses can contribute to these national health objectives and accomplish the goal of decreasing obesity among this population.

In nursing practice, accurate identification and application of research is essential to achieving successful outcomes. The ability to articulate research data and summarize relevant content supports the student’s ability to further develop and synthesize the assignments that constitute the components of the capstone project.

The assignment will be used to develop a written implementation plan.

For this assignment, provide a synopsis of the review of the research literature. Using the “Literature Evaluation Table,” determine the level and strength of the evidence for each of the eight research articles you have selected. The articles should be current (within the last 5 years) and closely relate to the PICOT question developed earlier in this course. The articles may include quantitative research, descriptive analyses, longitudinal studies, or meta-analysis articles. A systematic review may be used to provide background information for the purpose or problem identified in the proposed capstone project.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

 

1. Discuss your state NP community in terms of scope of practice. Include the your state’s scope of practice for NPs including: . Be sure that you carefully address each part of the assigned discussion, in full, with cited scholarly sources to support your statements. at least two paragraph each     My state is Maryland
   • Level of independence of practice 
   • Prescribing authority 
   • Any limitations of practice 
   • Process for obtaining licensure in your state 
   • Certification and education requirements for licensure. 
2. If you live in a restricted or reduced practice state, how has patient care been impacted in your local community from these barriers?  For instance, is the ED used for primary care?  Are the EDs overcrowded with long wait times?  Are there urgent care clinics readily available? Is there adequate access to primary care?  If you live in a full practice, how has independent practice of the APN resulted in improved patient access to healthcare?   
3. How does access to NPs impacts any healthcare disparities?  

• Consider how patient care has been impacted in your local community by these practice barriers.
  • For instance, is the ED used for primary care?
  • Are the EDs overcrowded with long wait times?
  • Are there urgent care clinics readily available?
  • Is there adequate access to primary care?
  • Are your rural communities adequately served?
  • What healthcare limitations are present in your communities?
• Consider how unrestricted, independent practice of the APRN resulted in improved patient access to healthcare?
• Include in your discussion how access to NPs impacts any healthcare disparities. 
  • Be sure you clearly understand the concept of “health disparities” as you address this portion of the discussion.
• As a reminder, all writing submitted should reflect graduate student quality and APA writing rules. All writing informed by outside sources should include APA formatted citations and associated scholarly, current references. Buppert, C. (2017). Nurse practitioner’s business practice & legal guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett. 
• include outside references other than the book
• Chapter 8 – Risk Management

Letz, K. (2017). The NP guide: Essential knowledge for nurse practitioner practice. (3rd ed.). American College of Nurse Practitioner Faculty. Las Vegas, NV.

• Chapter 11 – Justifying and promoting the profession

Teitelbaum, J. B., & Wilensky, S. E. (2017). Essentials of health policy and law (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

• Chapter 13 – Public Health Preparedness policy

 

Health disparities are any difference in health outcomes between populations of people. Consider the impact of poverty, race, gender, disability etc. on various health outcomes. The goal of Healthy People 2020 was to eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity, thus improving health outcomes among all populations (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). 

Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) defines health disparity as:

       “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or                  environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have          systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic                        group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or                  physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other                     characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion” (U.S. Department of                         Health and Human Services, 2020).

The HP 2020 definition of health equity is as follows:

         “attainment of the highest level of health for all people. Achieving health equity requires                  valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable                 inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and                       health care disparities” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020).

As you consider this week’s discussion questions, be sure to review the information here, as you prepare your responses and interact with the discussion.

Here is an excellent podcast regarding the importance of the nurse in health equity efforts. 

Finally, please review this article  r/t the APRN’s work in reducing health disparities. 

 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2020). Disparities. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Disparities 

  

N492 Assignment Mod 4:

Assignment:

Write a scholarly paper in which you apply the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to a communicable disease. Choose one communicable disease.

Epidemiology Paper Requirements

Include the following in your assignment:

1. A      thorough description of the disease including causes, mode of      transmission, symptoms, treatment and complications. Discuss the      demographic most affected-incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality.
2. What      are the determinants of health affecting this disease? https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health.
3. Identify      the epidemiologic triad including host, agent and environmental factors as      related to this disease.
4. Discuss      the role of the public health nurse in relation to this disease. How is      the public health nurse involved in finding, reporting, collection and      analysis of data and follow up?

A minimum of three references is required. The written essay should be at least 1250 words in length.

APA format is required.