Nursing Assignment:
Question to be addressed in my 1 page assignment:
• 1. Critically appraise the design of the team's curriculum (below) by providing feedback on the structure, sequence, and design of the curriculum or program.
Reminder: Pls put citation and at least one reference (2011 - 2016) by using APA format.
Team Project
The Midwest team was assigned the development of an educational program through a public health agency in a rural Midwest area. After our initial research, we decided to focus on the development of a primary prevention program for the Jackson County Health Department (JCHD) in Jackson County, Ohio. Our needs assessment uncovered a larger than average mortality rate from heart disease in Jackson County, compared to the state of Ohio (Ohio Department of Health, 2014).
Our target population is families in Jackson County, Ohio. We are using behavioral, cognitive, and social learning theories to describe the importance of changing adults' habits as well as modeling these for the children to maintain lifelong healthy lifestyles. Nakano, Kasuga, Murase, and Suzuki (2013) showed how healthy lifestyle habits decrease as children get older, and reiterated the importance of continuous focus on a healthy lifestyle.
The JCHD mission is "To promote and implement wellness through health programs, both mandated and self-initiated, that fall within the department's financial constraints and that continually improve community health and well-being" (JCHD (n.d), "Mission," para. 1). The JCHD vision is that "Every member of the community is healthy and lives in a safe environment" (JCHD, (n.d.), para. 2). The mission and vision of the JCHD were instrumental in the development of the program as it paved the way for the development of a primary prevention program focusing on the improvement of community health as well as the individual, with the idea that it could be a long-term program.
When developing a framework for our program, four principles are kept at the forefront: The compatibility of the program to the organization's mission and vision, relevancy, major concepts, and desired outcome (Sullivan, 2016). We consider the main concepts of our program (healthier lifestyle, heart disease, nutrition, exercise, behavior, empowerment, families, children, etc.) to ensure these are a good fit for the organization's goals and values. Our desired outcome to decrease the number of deaths from heart disease by increased number of families reporting healthy lifestyles and decrease childhood obesity needs to be in congruence with the mission and vision of JCHD.
Curriculum
Session 1: Healthy Heart for the Family
Description: Discussion during patient visits to the clinic or community events: Risks of heart disease, what we can and what we cannot change. A written self-assessment of risk factors. A general discussion of the family's habits (nutrition, exercise, adult smoking, and alcohol intake). Introduction to creating healthy living habits for the family through nutrition and exercise.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
• Describe two risk factors for heart disease that cannot be changed.
• Describe two risk factors for heart disease that people have control over.
• Discuss how adult habits are observed and copied by their children.
Session 2: Weight Loss and Nutrition
Description: Discussion of strategies to modify weight and eating a balanced and healthy diet. Risk factors that people have control of includes their diet and the foods the diet consist of. When parents eat healthy, they can set an example for their children. Parents and children should eat together for meals. Parents and children can keep a journal of their diet and weight.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
• Describe healthy weight
• Use a journal or log of their diet, exercise and weight.
• Identify foods that accompany a balanced meal.
• Prepare and cook a healthy meal.
Session 3: Lifestyle Modification: Incorporation of exercise into daily routine to prevent heart disease and other predisposing factors.
Description: Discussion during patient/family visits to the clinic regarding how to incorporate exercise/physical activity into ones daily routine. Discussion will include how regular physical activity has the potential to promote health, fitness, and decrease the likelihood of developing risk factors associated with heart disease later in life (Physical Activity Guideline for Americans, 2015).
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
• Identify two ways in which physical activity can be incorporated into their daily routine.
• Describe two benefits of incorporating physical activity into their daily routine.
Session 4: Healthy Children
Description: During patient/family visit education will be provided to parents and children on how to maintain healthy lifestyles to decrease the risk factors of developing heart disease at a young age. This relies on the teaching given to parents to instill healthy behaviors in children to decrease the risks of heart disease later in life. Some children are born with congenital heart defects and others may develop them from a poor lifestyle. Children who have cardiovascular disease risk factors at age 13 or younger can develop heart disease as young adults (AHA, 2016). The learning method shall be tailored to teaching young children, using colorful pictures.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the class, parents and children will be able to:
• Describe two ways to decrease the risk for heart disease.
• Describe three healthy habits to reduce the risk of heart disease that develops at a young age such as regular exercise daily, teaching the food pyramid and how to choose heart healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight, and methods to keep blood pressure within normal limits for each age group.
Session 5: The Effects of Stress Reduction and Relaxation
Description: It is thought that patients with many disease states, including cardiovascular disease, might benefit from increased stress reduction and relaxation and quality sleep.
Task #1: Discussing how rest and relaxation, and getting the correct amount of quality sleep to help restore the body's energy, repair muscle tissue and triggers the release of hormones that effect growth and appetite. Have patient identify strategies that are relaxing to them.
Task #2: Presenting to patients how deep relaxation, like meditation, when practiced regularly not only relieves stress and anxiety, but also is shown to improve mood. Educating patients on how deep relaxation has many other potential benefits such as decreasing blood pressure, relieves pain, and improve the immune and cardiovascular systems.
Learning Objectives:
After the completion of this session, participants will:
• Describe the impact of stress on health.
• Identify common stress indicators and stress related disease.
• Assess their own stress levels.
• Review strategies to help cope with stressors more effectively.
Session 6: High Blood Pressure and Diabetes; Hazards of the Heart
Description: Final session of the series to held at the JCHD's education room.
Task #1: Education on normal and abnormal values for hypertension. Discussion of the risks of high blood pressure. The importance of consistent monitoring of their blood pressure and taking medications as prescribed.
Task #2: Educate on normal and abnormal levels for glucose. Explain the effects of hyperglycemia on the vascular system. Discuss the importance of Hgb A1c monitoring.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of the session, the learner will:
• Describe normal and abnormal values for blood pressure and glucose.
• Report two modifications in their lifestyle that will help change their blood pressure. (diet and exercise etc.).
• Describe two foods that spike glucose and two foods that are on the lower glycemic index.
References
American Heart Association. (2016). Life's simple 7 for kids. Retrieved on October 25, 2016 fromhttps://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyKids/LifesSimple7forKids/Lifes-Simple-7-for-Kids_UCM_466610_SubHomePage.jsp
Jackson County Health Department. (n.d.). Mission. Retrieved from http://www.jacksoncountyhealthdepartment.org/about-us
Nakano, T., Kasuga, K., Murase, T., & Suzuki, K. (2013). Changes in healthy childhood lifestyle behaviors in Japanese rural areas. Journal of School Health, 83(4), 231-238.
Ohio Department of Health. (2014). Heart disease and stroke prevention. Retrieved September 9, 2016, fromhttp://www.healthy.ohio.gov/hdsp/hdsp.aspx
Physical Activity Guideline for Americans. (2015). Retrieved from: http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/
Relaxation techniques for stress relief: Finding the relaxation exercises that work for you. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm
Robert-McComb, J., Tacon, A., Randolph, P., & Caldera, Y. (2004). A pilot study to examine the effects of a mindfulness-based stress-reduction and relaxation program on levels of stress hormones, physical functioning, and submaximal exercise responses. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 10(5), 819-827. doi: 107555304247672210.1089/acm.2004.10.819
Sullivan, D. T. (2016). An introduction to curriculum development. In D. M. Billings & J. A. Halstead (Eds.),Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (5th ed., pp. 89-117). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.