Reply to:
Journal Summary
The journal article chosen for the summary assignment is titled “Increasing the capacity of public health nursing to strengthen the public health infrastructure and to promote and protect the health of communities and populations”. This article is centered around the topic of public health nursing (PHN) and the importance of improving the capacity and involvement of PHN in community health to improve population health outcomes. PHN is one of the largest professions in the public health setting and focus on increasing budgeting and their roles in public health leadership is essential in improving community health. The article highlights a comprehensive healthcare reform known as the” triple aim” which aims to improve population health, enhance the patient experience of care, and lower per capita healthcare cost (Kub et al., 2017). The purpose of the “triple aim” approach focuses on prevention of worsening health conditions for chronic illnesses and increasing awareness on preventative screenings to provide early interventions that will ultimately result in improved community health. Due to the vast reach of PHN and their history of impacting public health positively, PHN is crucial for the success of public health reforms such as those previously stated. the article continues by discussing the challenges confronting the United States healthcare system in delivering adequate public healthcare. These challenges include an aging population, inferior healthcare systems compared with other high-income countries, and declining life expectancy (Kub et al., 2017). Other issues that have risen in the United States which affect community healthcare delivery include, racial disparities, the need to improve telehealth and in-home hospital services, and building integrated systems to deliver better comprehensive care (Harrison, 2021). The article continues with highlighting some of the literature that supports the effectiveness of PHN and the impact provided by PHN for the enhancement of public health. The article mentions that home visit interventions have shown to prevent illness, empower people to avoid injury, and recognize and minimize social determinants of health (Kub et al., 2017). Other documented analysis of PHN has found that PHN improves population health by targeting vulnerable populations and providing health education, screening, and behavior change interventions (Swider et al., 2017). Finally, the article details the issues surrounding PHN policies and funding from government agencies. As stated in the article, improvement on investment for PHN is crucial in allowing PHN to continue to impact community health positively, as it has for over a century. Due to the strong and irreplaceable contribution PHN delivers to all populations, continuing to push for further involvement and support for PHN is key in battling the healthcare issues facing public health in the United States.
Kub, J. E., Kulbok, P. A., Miner, S., & Merrill, J. A. (2017). Increasing the capacity of public health nursing to strengthen the public health infrastructure and to promote and protect the health of communities and populations. Nursing Outlook, 65(5), 661–664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2017.08.009