Healthy People 2020 Case Study

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The Lanier County health department supports several of the topics pertaining to Healthy People 2020. Some topics that the health department and Healthy People 2020 have in common include, education and community-based programs, environmental health, family planning, immunization and infectious disease, sexually transmitted diseases, and maternal, infant, and child health. One topic that stands out to me is, education and community-based programs, which shares the goals and objective of this agency. Healthy People 2020’s goal is to, “increase the quality, availability, and effectiveness of educational and community-based programs designed to prevent disease and injury, improve health, and enhance quality of life” (U.S. Department of Health …show more content…

In addition to collaboration with other faculty members of the health department and the community, the nurse also has to be able to handle diverse populations with a wide variety of health concerns. Patients come into the health department for numerous reasons including, immunizations, birth control, annual physicals, STD testing, prenatal case management and vision hearing and dental screenings. She would start by taking the patients’ weight and blood pressure, while asking the patient focused assessment questions. The assessment questions would focus on why the patient came into the facility and in some cases, she would even talk to the patient on a more personal level. No matter what the problem may have been, my preceptor always had the ability to make the patient comfortable. Most patients have been coming to this health department for years now, so they really respect and trust the nurses working here. The nurse presented as the health educator and patient advocate, while promoting holistic health services. No matter what services the patients’ were in need of, education was always part of the process. In many ways the nurse was doing the job of a nurse practitioner, by prescribing birth control, performing Papanicolaou (pap) smears, and ordering diagnostic tests including STD testing. The nurse also performed duties in her management position, including, ordering supplies for the facility, balancing her budget for purchases, and hiring a new part time nurse. My preceptor, Jeannie, has taught me so many different things that I will take from this experience and apply to my own future nursing

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