ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To explore the experience of living with hypertension (HTN) in uninsured Southern, Appalachian adults who receive care in a nurse practitioner-run clinic. DATA SOURCES: Focus groups with 16 clients. CONCLUSIONS: Living with hypertension encompassed living with many tensions and challenges. It was described by five organizing themes, each of which involved two basic themes held in tension. The organizing themes were: (a) centrality of HTN; (b) controllability of HTN; (c) visibility of HTN, (d) accessibility and quality of health care; and (e) existential reality. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Interventions are needed to help clients deal with the tensions and challenges; these include a greater focus on partnering with clients, individual and group educational activities, and developing community partnerships.
Subject(s)
Hypertension/epidemiology , Medically Uninsured/statistics & numerical data , Poverty/statistics & numerical data , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Appalachian Region/epidemiology , Community-Based Participatory Research , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Qualitative Research , Tape Recording , United States/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
This article discusses metabolic syndrome, which has recently been defined by the National Institutes of Health (2001) and affects approximately 47 million Americans. Suggestions have been included for risk factor identification, prevention measures, and intervention guidelines for the components of metabolic syndrome. Many Americans with metabolic syndrome will be in the workplace. Thus, the role of the occupational health nurse in the prevention of metabolic syndrome is vital. Prevention measures for metabolic syndrome focus on the education and encouragement of employees to attain or maintain healthy lifestyles. For employees with identified risk factors, collaboration between the occupational health nurse and the employee provide an avenue for healthy employee outcomes.
Subject(s)
Metabolic Syndrome/diagnosis , Metabolic Syndrome/therapy , Nurse's Role , Occupational Health Nursing/methods , Cardiovascular Diseases/diagnosis , Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology , Cardiovascular Diseases/therapy , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/diagnosis , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/therapy , Humans , Hyperlipidemias/diagnosis , Hyperlipidemias/epidemiology , Hyperlipidemias/therapy , Hypertension/diagnosis , Hypertension/epidemiology , Hypertension/therapy , Life Style , Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology , Obesity/diagnosis , Obesity/epidemiology , Obesity/therapy , Primary Prevention/methods , Risk Factors , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Introduction to Rural Health was developed as the introductory course for the Community Partnerships in Health Education - a new curriculum educating students using interdisciplinary, community oriented, and inquiry based strategies. Medical students, nursing students, and public health students participated in an elective curriculum designed to teach interdisciplinary groups of students to deliver primary health care in under-served communities. The curriculum began with an intensive one-week course designed to introduce students to the community, its people, their health care needs, and the process of working in interdisciplinary groups. The course was taught using a variety of community based activities. Student evaluations indicated that students strongly agreed that the course objectives were met using this nontraditional methodology. Qualitative analysis indicated that students regarded the team-building aspects of the course as the most influential. Community members indicated a high level of satisfaction with their input in the developmental process and with the extent to which community resources and interests were included.