Cardiovascular Epidemic

By: Ed Roska RN

In 2006, the American Heart Association (AHA) reported more than 80 million people have one or more cardiovascular disease. Heart disease claimed over 800,000 lives in 2005; 300,000 more than cancer, 5 times more than accidents and 80 times more than HIV. Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the world. It is also the leading cause of disability. According to the Council of Disability Awareness (2008), 24 million Americans need on-going treatments, surgeries and medications that is costing our economy $1.3 trillion per year. This is just the direct cost of therapy. The indirect cost of heart disease is even greater to patients and their families. Loss of income because of surgeries and recovery can drastically affect the lives of family members.
One of the goals stated in the health people 2010 publication is increasing life expectancy and improving quality of life. Facts proved that cardiovascular diseases takes the most life and causes the most disability in patients and love ones. Hence, decreasing deaths and affected lives by cardiac disease will get us closer to achieving the goal of healthy people 2010.
A community health nurse work with a wide range of health care providers to ensure patients receive a full range of care. The main focus of a community health nurse is illness prevention and early interventions. Their goal is to avoid exacerbations and unnecessary hospitalization.
My goal for healthy people 2010 would be to increase education pertaining to heart care and decreasing death related to cardiac arrest. The objectives for these goals would be to reinforce the knowledge regarding the importance of activity, exercise and weight control, increase the communities’ knowledge about modifiable risk factors such as cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking and increasing the numbers of individuals capable of responding to a cardiac event.
The simplest and only answer to the epidemic that is cardiac disease is education. A community health nurse can provide this by working together with institutions like churches and health care facilities. Partnering with these institutions a nurse can develop educational programs and clinics that can provide community members a resource for their illness. A nurse cannot change a life-style of an individual but a nurse can change behaviors through education.

Note: This blog post reflects the work of Ed Roska, RN with minor editing by Shirley Comer RN and was completed as a class assignment. The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Before beginning or changing a treatment or lifestyle regime you should consult your primary health care provider.

Epilepsy

By Karlie Peters, RN.

What is Epilepsy? “Epilepsy is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system” (Epilepsy, 2009). Epilepsy and seizures affect people in many different ways. An individual is diagnosed with Epilepsy, when they have had two seizures without any cause from a medical condition. A community nurse can help a client “self-manage” their seizures by understanding the three parts of seizures. The three parts of seizures are the beginning, middle, and end.
If an individual is aware of the first part “the beginning”, which is considered a warning. Unfortunately some may not have warning signs. The middle stage has many different forms. People whom have warning signs, it may be a simple aura, turn into a complex partial seizures or convulsion. People without warnings, may have a seizure that continues into a complex partial seizure or a convulsion. People with epilepsy/seizures need to be informed of the end stage of this disease because this is when the individual transitions back into a normal state. One needs to be informed of the length this period of time last, which can be seconds to minutes, even hours, depending of the affected portion of the brain.
The community nurse can help stress the early (warning) signs of seizures to those who are in the early diagnosing stage, such as sensory/thought, emotional, and physical signs. The nurse should get the individual prepared with emergencies, treatment and safety matters.
One-way to “self manage” seizures is teamwork, whether healthcare team members, family and the individual. A seizure’s diary can help one keep tack of the types of seizures, meds, treatments, side effects, concerns, contacts information, prescription refills, and list medical appointments and take a copy to appointments. Having epilepsy/seizures can be scary, but if one is acknowledgeable about triggers they can minimize the number of attacks with the diary. Triggers are different for each individual person. Some triggers happen during sleep or while waking up, women may have seizures during parts of the menstrual cycle, or when under high stress. The community nurse can encourage the individual to seek support groups and take with family for support. One can also get involved with Blogs through websites such as http://www.epilepsy.com/ which provides information, community, and empowerment.

Note: This blog post reflects the work of Karlie Peters, RN with minor editing by Shirley Comer RN and was completed as a class assignment. The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Before beginning or changing a treatment or lifestyle regime you should consult your primary health care provider.

The Benefits of Promoting Active Aging During the School Years

By: Zondra Davis, RN

Customizing community based nursing projects to promote physical activity in young children is an excellent way to get future Americans moving towards improved health.

Having a sedentary lifestyle is a significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease; the three leading causes of death in America (www.cdc.gov).

Physical inactivity diminishes life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases but it also negatively influences the aging process itself. Astronomical morbidity rates can be linked to physically inactivate lifestyles. Individuals who get regular exercise enjoy lower rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, and osteoporosis.

The prevalence of overweight children has tripled over the last 20 years (Clark, 2008). Our couch potato culture exacerbated by technology that requires much less activity to accomplish chores, homework, and entertainment has resulted in the swelling of the youngest waistlines. Many obese children, ravaged by depression and ill-health, threaten to be the first generation of Americans to have a lower life expectancy than their parents!

School nurses are in a unique position to promote physically active lifestyles throughout the school years to help youngsters ward off chronic illnesses associated with sedentary lifestyles. Children are impressionable and can reap the benefits of improved self-concept, stress management capacity, and physiological functioning that facilitates coping and optimal development across the lifespan. Comprehensive wellness education beginning in kindergarten can introduce age appropriate fun movement to children as they are taught to appreciate the benefits of lifelong fitness. Including daily fitness instruction into the school curriculum under the direction of conversant school nurses is a great way to develop children’s interest in exercise to ensure more than a good grade in gym; but a good deposit towards an improved quality of life.

School nurses can help to create a generation of Americans who have positive attitudes about aging, and who actively plan for healthy aging (Mcguire & Mefford, 2007).CitationsClark, M.J. (2008). Community health nursing advocacy for population health. 5th ed. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River: NJMcGuire, SL., Mefford, L (2007) Growing up and growing older. Journal of School Nursing, 23 (2): 80-85.www.cdc.gov/nchs/FASTATS/deaths.htm. Retrieved July 23, 2009

Note: This blog post reflects the work of Zondra Davis RN with minor editing by Shirley Comer RN and was completed as a class assignment. The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Before beginning or changing a treatment or lifestyle regime you should consult your primary health care provider.

Body Mass Index

By: Rosalind Anderson RN

The state of IL has implemented policies requiring mandatory physical exam including BMI screening upon entering 1st, 5th and 9th grades. However data indicates that annual screening may be preferable. Despite the intentions of state required BMI screening programs, screening lacking follow-up with a child who is identified as obese/overweight or at risk, is futile.

Parents may be motivated to take action after receiving their child’s BMI results, but their community might lack the appropriate medical care service, access to healthy and affordable food choices, safe locations for physical activity, or other resources needed to address the problem. BMI screening programs cannot help young people achieve a healthy weight if adequate school or community services do not exist for appropriate follow-up (Nihiser, A. et al, 2007).

Because BMI screening programs are not intended to diagnose weight status, schools should refer students who need follow-up to appropriate local medical care providers. Before initiating a screening program, schools should work with the local medical community to ensure that adequate diagnostic and treatment services are available, staffed by employees with appropriate training, and accessible to all students, including those with low family incomes or without insurance. Schools should also identify school- or community-based health promotion programs that encourage physical activity and healthy eating. School nurses should be educated, trained, and equipped with the appropriate resources to respond to parents requesting guidance. School nurses can be a valuable resource during the follow-up period because they can provide parents with a clear explanation of the results and health risks associated with obesity, develop an action plan for behavior change, and connect the family to medical care in the community (Nihiser, A. et al, 2007).

References

Nihiser, A., Lee, S., Weschler, H., McKenna, M., Odom, E., Reinhold, E., Thompson, D.,
Grummer-Strawn, L. (2007, Dec.). Body mass index measurement in schools.
Journal of School Health, 77(10), 651-674.

Note: This blog post reflects the work of Rosalind Anderson RN with minor editing by Shirley Comer RN and was completed as a class assignment. The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Before beginning or changing a treatment or lifestyle regime you should consult your primary health care provider.