Innovative approaches to health promotion and prevention in nursing care

In care, our main focus is generally on increasing and ensuring the quality of life of those in need of care. More than anyone else in our society, the latter need health promotion. This in turn guarantees the longest possible life. In addition, prevention in turn prevents negative influences on quality of life. This means avoiding and educating people about risk factors and keeping them away - such as nicotine, drug and excessive alcohol consumption. Preventive care, such as mammography for the early detection of breast cancer or a health check-up, also falls under prevention. A particularly interesting aspect for us in nursing is the type of prevention that prevents consequential damage, such as advising diabetics to follow a diet. This advice can prevent consequential damage such as circulatory disorders or renal insufficiency.

 

The basis of health promotion in Austria is the Gesundheitsreform 2005, which created a law on the quality of health services. The basic principles in this law are

Read also the 10 health targets adopted by the Austrian federal government. The point "Social participation and psychosocial health of older people" is of particular importance to us in the care sector.

NORA SAGT

Did you know that Austria is the birthplace of the WHO International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals? Yes, as early as the late 1980s, Austria was committed to developing networks for health promotion. In doing so, it fulfilled the requirement of the WHO's Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986. All these networks help to create framework conditions for health. The WHO coined the phrase "make the healthy choice the easy choice"!

 

 

Science fiction in nursing

Linz, August 2038. Noam, 96, strolls casually into the waiting room of the state health center. Instead of armchairs, it has thick mats to lie on, a few pieces of gym equipment, a walking course and a mini golf course. Noam grabs a club, a putter, and sets about hitting a hole-in-one with it until the loudspeaker announces: "Noam Neumann, studio five, please!" Satisfied with his score, the sprightly Noam makes his way to door number 5, where his doctor is already waiting for him. "Well, Mr. Neumann, are you all right?" he wants to know. "Oh yes, fine, just had a hole-in-one," Noam grins at his doctor. The doctor pats him on the shoulder and asks him to sit down. He does some mobility and muscle tests with him, shines a light in his eyes, looks in his mouth and checks his blood pressure. Finally, he claps his hands with satisfaction and praises Noam: "Your state of health is very satisfactory, Mr. Neumann. Full marks. You continue to pay the minimum health insurance. Keep up the good work!" With these words, he bids farewell to the sprightly man, who sets about finishing his round of mini-golf before returning to his one-bedroom apartment in the assisted living facility.

 

 

Innovative approaches to health promotion and prevention in care

 

Since the noughties of the new millennium, there have been new innovations that have influenced our attitudes. One innovation in particular was introduced during this time that is very important for our health and its development.

 

Until now, our thoughts and actions in relation to health have been determined by what was NOT right. The word "hospital" alone indicates that we have focused on illness and not on health. After all, we don't go to the doctor when we are healthy - just like Noam at the beginning. It would be nice to receive praise from our doctor for taking such good care of ourselves, wouldn't it? The American-Israeli medical sociologist Aaron Antonovsky has distanced himself from this disease-oriented prevention. He explained that we are constantly exposed to certain risk and disease factors that could endanger our health, both physically and mentally. He therefore moved away from the question "What makes people ill" (= pathogenesis) to the question: "What keeps people healthy despite risk factors?" (= salutogenesis). (= salutogenesis).

 

The most important results of his work for an innovative understanding of health are:

 

1. The feeling of comprehensibility: This means that we are able to evaluate information so that it appears organized, structured and coherent

 

2. The feeling of manageability: we can have certainty that problems and challenges can be overcome by us

 

3. The feeling of meaningfulness: how meaningful we see life, how worthwhile it is for us to put energy into problems and challenges

 

 

For this sociology researcher, meaningfulness is the most important of all three components of a new understanding of health. He believes that without this third component, the other two levels, i.e. comprehensibility and manageability, would not have as great a health-promoting effect on us. If a crisis occurs, for example in the form of a health impairment or a deterioration in the previous state of health, then these three feelings are threatened.

 

For this we bring an example:

 

 

This example is a quote from the bachelor thesis Evelyne Pack, "Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention in der Pflege", page 24, Medical University of Graz, Health and Nursing Science, 23.08.2010.

How can we apply salutogenesis to ourselves and our care recipients?

 

The central question, then, is what keeps us healthy. While we have learned to take a scientific perspective in the care process, i.e. to look at a deficit, a disease, we work according to a humanistic approach in the health process. With this approach, we look at people holistically and try to understand human experiences. Unlike in the care process, we do not take on the role of the expert, which we are as carers, but as companions to the patient, who in this case is the expert - the expert on their body, mind and soul.

Helpful questions in health promotion and prevention

What needs does the person in need of care have?

 

In the above case study, we start with understandability. We give the patient the feeling that we understand her. In a conversation, we talk about the illness and the problems that have been triggered by it. This tells us where the patient is at the moment and what information she needs from us. We then explain and advise them. In this case, it is likely that the incontinence was caused by an indwelling catheter. The fact that the patient has been severely restricted in her movement has also caused her muscles to break down. Further information on the topic incontinence can be found here.

 

After that, we take care of the feeling of manageability. The patient learns to cope with the crisis situation. She should get the feeling that she can solve her problems. We nurses help to convey this feeling by sharing our knowledge about the situation. In this case, it is care techniques and special exercises that mobilize the patient and increase her muscle strength.

 

When the patient's life seems pointless, i.e. the feeling of meaningfulness fades, we as carers are particularly challenged to be attentive and empathetic and to motivate them to tackle their solvable problems. In doing so, we must be aware that we need a lot of patience and time to gently guide them onto the right path.

What does the patient want to achieve?

 

It is important that these goals are interesting and motivating and that implementation is realistic and achievable. The answer to this question in relation to the case study above is to alleviate or resolve the incontinence.

How does the patient achieve this goal?

 

In order for the patient to follow this path, the method must be easy to implement and cost-effective, and the patient should also be happy to accept this method. Let's take the example above. One possible method is to use pelvic floor exercises and light mobilization exercises to strengthen the muscles in general and especially in the pelvic area.

When is the goal reached?

 

In this case, it is clear - the patient should become continent again and gain more muscle strength. As soon as she has achieved this, the goal has been reached

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What measures need to be taken - and in what time frame?

 

Together with the patient, the nurse determines how many times a week to practice, which exercises to do to increase muscle strength to achieve the goal and how many weeks to practice. Then it's about implementation. We also need to consider whether we need an expert for this. In this case, that would be a physiotherapist or a trainer.

 

Week after week, we can then see and assess the successes together and share them with the patient. As a result, the patient gradually feels better and more and more often experiences the feeling of being able to manage her life well again.

CONCLUSION

 

Health-promoting measures should start with healthy patients. We nurses can increasingly focus our work on this holistic aspect. The majority of nurses often still see doctors as being responsible for health advice, and dieticians in second place. Only then do we health and nursing professionals come into view. While nurses who have been doing their job for decades pay little attention to this aspect, it is the young nursing staff who are devoting more and more time to maintaining patients' health in their day-to-day care. This new view of care is an innovative approach that safeguards and improves the quality of life of those in need of care. And if you are considering whether you would rather help cure an ailment or keep a healthy person fit - what would your answer be?

Nora's vision
 

We read at the beginning about a Noam from the future who has obviously always taken good care of himself. When hospitals are replaced by health centers, where we regularly go to have our health checked and are praised for it - not just by a doctor's recognition, but by a monetary bonus from the health insurance company, then we will really have arrived at innovative health promotion in a society in which the elderly are always healthier,

 

looking forward to your

 

Nora

 

Are you looking for a job where you can demonstrate your skills in the field of health promotion and prevention? Here you will find the right addresses and the right Network !