Health Promotion Essay

The World Health Organization delineated health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity† (WHO, 1946). Scientists define health promotion as the course of action taken to facilitate people to have power over and to enhance their health generally. To carry on and augment wellbeing some practices such as restraining from smoking, exercising at least three times a week to sustain fitness, reducing contact to radiation and toxic components, eating adequate amount of nutrients and minerals seem essential. In nursing practice, health promotion exists through education to facilitate inhabitants to create choices to keep them in good physical shape. According to the American Journal of Health, â€Å"Health Promotion is the science and the art of helping people change their lifestyles to move toward an optimal health.† Other factors that can encourage reaching out the purpose of health promotion are n ursing roles and responsibilities, implementation methods that covers all areas of nursing, and the levels of health support. The World Health Organization (WHO) created a movement named Healthy people 2010 to make all Americans cognizant of a variety of ways to prevent diseases and improve their health. The association placed nurses in the forefront by giving them the lead of the action due to the fact of their constant contact with individuals, families, and communities because they can help them make the right decision to promote health (WHO, 2000.) In addition, they acquire skills through evidence-based practice in critical moments of life to implement essential interventions through education after assessing, using a diagnosis, developing a plan the care of patients; a thorough evaluation of chosen activities always follows to assure a contented turning point. Nurses assist to promote health by helping groups of people in different settings to cultivate healthy lifestyle. The Institute of Medicine has a new research that clarifies responsibilities by stating the important role nurses play to implement and evaluate actions to promote health in the population. As advocate for the sick, the nurse-client interrelationship should take place for health promotion in order to teach people good habits in the choice of adequate diet to avoid obesity, to stop polluting the environment by quitting smoking for instance and access to clean water seem indispensable; moreover, inhabitants must not permit damaging social conditions that wipe out health to continue as they convey unhealthy states (Sullivan, 2000). Health promotion movements are meant to guard and advance health, and to avoid illness. These activities are grouped into three subsequent levels. The foremost and initial level of health promotion prevention is intended to stop diseases from starting or a trauma from happening. Diseases or trauma to prevent include immunization, household hazards, abstinence from smoking, measures that decrease the risk for stroke, educating and counseling regarding the use of vehicle passenger restraints and bicycle hat. The primary prevention averts the beginning of an aimed condition. It targets the greatest number of people in a community who might become at risk for a specific health dilemma like asthma which happened to be one of the most frequent respiratory diseases in modern countries. Furthermore, the secondary avoidance measures are those that spot and care for asymptomatic people at risk but in whom the provision is not clinically obvious. Activities of secondary escaping involve early case findings of disease without any sign that occurs and has major risk for harmful result exclusive of cure. Screening tests to detect hyperlipidemia, hypertension, breast and prostate cancer are model of secondary prevention actions. Lastly, when the disease has already started its course of action, tertiary prevention care is given to patient, attempts are made to re-establish highest function and stop sickness-related complications. Health is a store for everyday life that includes physical, mental, social comfort; consequently, health promotion activities will empower individuals and communities to raise their control over decisions that affect their health. With the possession of interpersonal skills, nurses contribute to encourage patients through teaching to make constructive changes that will keep them in good physical shape throughout life. The three levels of health promotion are supported through education. Within their scope of practice, nurses can allow individuals and communities to gain greater control over the determinants of their wellbeing to achieve the purpose of Health promotion. . References Edelman, C., & Mandle, C. L. (2010). Health promotion throughout the life spans (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby. Eisenberg & Neighbors, (2007). National Research Council and Institute of Medicine [NAS-IOM], (2009). A national study by Kessler et al. (2005) According to a report from Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council (IOM and NAS) National Prevention, Health Pro Nola J. Pender, Carolyn L. Murdaugh, and Mary Ann Parsons. Motion, and Public Health Council. (2011). Annual status report [Internet]. Washington (DC): The Council; 2011 Jun 30 [cited 2011 Sep 30]. Available from: http://www.healthcare.gov/ prevention/nphpphc/2011-annualstatus- report-nphpphc.pdf Nola J. Pender, Carolyn L. Murdaugh, & Mary Ann Parsons. (2006). Health Promotion in Nursing Practice (5th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education INC