The Community Health Nurse’s Role in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Prevention (Through Tasks Such as Case Finding and Contact Tracing, Reporting, Data Collection, Analysis, and Follow-up)

The Community Health Nurse’s Role in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Prevention (Through Tasks Such as Case Finding and Contact Tracing, Reporting, Data Collection, Analysis, and Follow-up)

Managing TB requires participation of various parties including patients and health workers. As part of the healthcare professionals, community health nurses play crucial role, meeting various aspects of patients’ needs. At the primary level, these nurses sensitize the public about TB including the lifestyle choices and the behaviors that may cause TB. When educating the public and the most vulnerable groups, they may emphasize modification of the lifestyle, and smoking cessation. The nurse also engages policy makers, recommending the need to adopt regulations that expand access to health care services. Through these efforts, the nurse can help minimize cases of TB infections.

When it comes to the secondary prevention still, the community nurse’s role becomes crucial. In this case, they find cases by identifying individuals with compromised immune systems. They also perform assessments and diagnostic tests, determining positive TB cases. In addition, they trace people who have been in contact with the TB patients, monitoring them to ascertain their TB status. In case they suspect or diagnose TB cases, they notify the officials so that necessary measures can be taken.

Concerning the TB, the tertiary prevention is necessary in the sense that it minimizes the impact of the TB, with the community health nurse playing a fundamental role during this phase of prevention. For example, the nurse manages the disease, providing treatment to TB patients. The nurse may remind them to take their medications by following the prescription information. This may happen when following up with the patients, assessing their progress after discharge. Furthermore, the nurse works with other professionals including counselors, assisting the patient to learn how stop habits that may interfere with the recovery (Madebo, Balta, & Daka, 2023).

National Patient Safety Resource or Initiative that Addresses the Communicable Disease including How it Contributes to Resolving or Reducing the Impact of the Disease at the Point of Care

In the U.S., community-based players across different states united to counter the effect of the TB and to address the disease by forming the TB Elimination Alliance (TEA). Through this alliance, these players sought to setup efforts focused on sensitizing communities about TB, and advocating for the TB patients. They also sought to mobilize resources by securing finds that would go towards preventing, treating and diagnosing TB (TB Elimination Alliance, 2021). They also sought to influence policy initiatives focused on mitigating the impact of the TB. This initiative contributes to resolving TB problem by ensuring that communities are informed about the disease, and that policy developers develop policies that reflect the public health needs.     

The Global Implication of the Disease

According to the WHO statistical data, 10.6 million individuals contracted TB in 2022, with TB coming in the second position after Covid-19 in terms of the diseases that caused the highest incidences of mortality during the same year (WHO, 2023). Given that the disease requires hospitalization of patients especially if it is in active phase, it contributes to money lost due to lack of productivity.

How the Disease Is Addressed in other Countries or Cultures

The way other countries address the disease is similar to the approaches the U.S. adopts to address it. In a country like China, for instance, the focus is on research and innovation, with emphasis on developing potent medications that can kill the TB bacterium faster. In Canada, the focus is on creating policies that make preventive services available to those at risk of TB (Alsayed & Gunosewoyo (2023).

Changes in Conditions that Might Indicate Public Health Emergency Related to the Chosen Disease

The change in weather conditions may require adopting new measures to counter the spread of the TB pathogen. This is particularly necessary during the cold weather.

Conclusion

The exposure of the individual to the TB including their risk of contracting the disease depends on a wide range of factors including the environmental factors to which they are exposed. One’s risk also depends on their lifestyle habits, and their overall health status.

 References

Alsayed, S. S. R., & Gunosewoyo, H. (2023). Tuberculosis: Pathogenesis, Current Treatment Regimens and New Drug Targets. International journal of molecular sciences,