Begin reviewing and replying to peer postings/responses early in the week to enhance peer discussion. See the rubric for participation points. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing viewpoints with a rationale, challenging aspects of the discussion, or indicating relationships between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Always use constructive language, even in criticism, to work toward the goal of positive progress.
Peer 1
Savannah, Georgia is the oldest city in the state of Georgia and is a popular tourist spot that have a population of 145, 754. Of that population, 38.7 % is Caucasian, 54.4 is African American, 3$ two or more races, 3.92% Asian, Another race, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific islander. More than half of the population is African Americans. African Americans have a higher prevalence of things such as hypertension which increases a person’s risk for stroke and heart disease. African Americans are also disproportionally affected by Obesity. African Americans are also more likely to have diabetes which can lead to stroke or cardiovascular disease. A lot of these are influenced by modifiable and non-modifiable factors. Yes, I am African American and that’s something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. But on the other hand, I can eat right, exercise, and drink plenty of water so that I won’t get any of these things. As a nurse, I have seen many patients and sometimes a little education goes a long way.
Another population that interests me is the homeless community. Savannah has the second-highest number of homelessness in Georgia. There are over 1000 individuals that are not including the 800 kids that are enrolled at schools throughout Savannah, GA. There are many reasons a person or family may experience losses. I could be because of lost wages or income, substance abuse, domestic violence, low wages, and many more. In savannah, we do have the homeless authority which provides resources to those who are homeless. We have shelters and soup kitchens. One of the things that are going on is the tiny house project. It is something in place to help homeless veterans that not only provides them with a community but also affordable housing. There is something called Tent city, it is a community of homeless people that live in tents in savannah, Ga. My unit in the hospital chose them to do our own separate community outreach. We are doing things like giving them water, and things that will help them as winter is approaching.
References
About Homelessness. (2020, May 06). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://www.homelessauthority.org/about-homelessness/
African Americans and Heart Disease, Stroke. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/african-americans-and-heart-disease-stroke
Savannah, Georgia Population 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/savannah-ga-population
Peer 2
When discussing an aggregate, or target population you are pointing out a collection of people who have one or more personal or environmental traits in common (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). In my community two targeted populations that are of interest to me are migrant farmworkers in our county and migrant children of migrant farmworkers. My rationale for these targeted populations is primary prevention.
On average, the level of education completed by a migrant farmworker is 6th grade (Student Action with Farmworkers, 2020). This tells me that education needs to take priority about prevention of diseases and what they can be taught about it. Migrants face a higher rate of urinary tract infections, heat stress, tuberculosis and other illnesses, as their children have higher rates of dental diseases and malnutrition (Student Action with Farmworkers, 2020).
If migrants are taught about health promotion services they can utilize in the community that can reduce the risk of disease, it could give them a sense of empowerment. Having the knowledge and control over their own health may entice them to educate others about what they can do. Primary prevention is the first step that should be made in order to begin care for not just this aggregate group, but for any aggregate.
References
Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, M.S.J. (2020). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community. (10th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Student Action with Farmworkers. (2020). United States farmworker fact sheet. Retrieved from https://saf-unite.org/content/united-states-farmworker-factsheet