NUR 4244 – Deliverable 6 – Communicable Disease Communication Document

Nurses working in public health have an important part in HIV prevention messages, linking clients to HIV care and reinforcing HIV prevention and care services such as adherence to medications. Public health nurses can enhance HIV care teams by working in partnership with case managers, nurses, doctors, social workers, and other services to address the medical, social, and economic needs of those living with HIV. A public health nurse is the bridge between the client, the community, and medical care, which connects the community and helps improve client experience, improve health care, and even lower costs (Dumitru et al., 2018). Actions the public health nurse can take to help prevent and control HIV infection rates include providing support and linkage to treatment and education, improving adherence by providing education and support by assisting clients with transportation, picking up prescriptions, and providing information on support within the community. Education strategies to improve medication adherence, thus assisting in the control of this communicable disease, include a patient support component that involves individualized or group education about ART and ART adherence, the development of basic medication management skills, and problem-solving with respect to adherence barriers (Simoni et al., 2014).

References

Betancourt, T. S., Ng, L. C., Kirk, C. M., Munyanah, M., Mushashi, C., Ingabire, C., Teta, S., Beardslee, W. R., Brennan, R. T., Zahn, I., Stulac, S., Cyamatare, F. R., & Sezibera, V. (2014). Family-based prevention of mental health problems in children affected by HIV and AIDS: an open trial. AIDS (London, England), 28 Suppl 3(0 3), S359–S368. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000000336