Special Populations
In this module you will learn about special populations. You will also do an extensive assessment of your community and develop a plan to address the health need or how to extend a good practice to another community.
Overview:
Special populations include: the elderly, children, disabled, or any person or group that is vulnerable. In this module we will review how the community nurse provides support for these populations.
The aging population in the United States is and will continue to grow as the “baby boomer” generation begins to enter into their seventies. Consider the impact of such a large number of people requiring care. This population often has more than one chronic condition. What are skilled nursing services? What is the Community Nurses’ role in case management? What other aspects of health care will this population need? How will this impact our health care system?
Who are the vulnerable “at risk”? At risk may include those who have physiologic, emotional, economic issues affecting their health or a combination of many complex personal and environmental challenges. It could be a nurse who is acutely ill with a new health issue and health care providers assume this person does not need discharge teaching. In other words, sometimes the vulnerable are not seen in plain sight.
Module QSEN SLOs, Learning Objectives and Activities:
This module’s focused learning objectives include the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will help you meet them.
These are the QSEN SLOs that will be addressed in this module:
Analyze and integrate data and information from multiple sources to make clinical judgments in community health nursing care. (EBP)
Communicate and collaborate within interdisciplinary teams in the community to improve outcomes for groups whose health status is at risk. (T/C)
Expand the role of the professional nurse to develop, implement, and evaluate culturally competent, evidence-based care for groups, communities, and populations. (PCC)
Implement a project to address the needs of identified groups and to evaluate project effectiveness in meeting identified health needs. (QI)
Explore the nurse’s role in maintaining the safety of the public related to potential epidemic situations. (S)
Utilize information technology to communicate, manage knowledge, and support evidence-based clinical decisions in community health nursing. (I)
Here are the module’s objectives. They are focused on helping you achieve the above SLOs.
By the end of this module’s work, you will:
Analyze and discuss a vulnerable population. Achieve by completing Learning Activities: II, III
Analyze solutions to address an identified community’s health need. Achieve by completing Learning Activities: II, III
Learning Activities:
I. Review the schedule
II. Do the assigned readings
III. Participate in Discussion Forum 4
Module 5 learning activities will allow for greater understanding of the role of community health nursing including vulnerable populations and problem solving.
Required readings: Truglio-Londrigan and Lewenson, Chapters 4, 10, 11, 12
Web sources: Refer to the helpful links tab on the menu bar to the left of this page.
Module 5 DB- Support for Special Populations
In this discussion, you will identify a vulnerable population. Vulnerable populations include but are not limited to individuals who are subject to issues such as violence, substance abuse, mental health issues/illnesses, rural residency, disability, veteran status, low income, difficulty accessing health care migrant employment, immigrants, refugees, pregnant adolescents, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals (LGBTQ).
For your initial post:
Identify a group and indicate why or what makes them a vulnerable population.
Include data, definitions, and search multiple sources (include citations).
List at least three issues that may affect the health of your identified vulnerable population.
Include at least two nursing strategies for improving health care for your chosen vulnerable population.
Organize work in at least 3 paragraphs. Each paragraph should have at least 3 sentences (not direct quotations from scholarly sources)
Make sure to use at least 2 scholarly sources that are less than 5 years old in addition to the sources provided in the module. References and citations should follow the 7th edition of APA guidelines.
Use paraphrases more than direct quotations to show your understanding of the work that you are using to support your viewpoints.
