Week 10 Project Evaluation of Plan Effectiveness

Sample Answer

Introduction

Carrying out a community health assessment is a crucial aspect of the nursing profession as it elaborates the healthcare needs of a given aggregate, hence promoting the overall health of the entire community (Sen-Crowe et al., 2021).

Different methods are normally utilized in assessing the health status of a given community including the demographic and epidemiological methods. Once the healthcare needs of the community are known, appropriate strategies are then put in place to promote the provision of healthcare services to the identified aggregate. This presentation focuses on the risk assessment and development of a detailed care plan for my aggregate.

My Aggregate Description

The group selected is an aggregate of three women 35-44 years working at the Fort Pierce, Florida Advanced Eye Care Center. This group is part of a community located in St. Lucie County, Florida, with a population of approximately 46,103 as recorded by the U.S. Census bureau in 2019.

The city sits on a total area of 53.8 km2 of which 15.6 km2 is covered by water while the rest is land. Approximately 40% of middle-aged women from this community are experiencing some form of depression or anxiety as a result of their fear of dying from Covid-19, because of the increased death rate during the pandemic (Harris, 2020).

Demographics of my Aggregate

The average age of community members in Fort Pierce Florida is 42 years as of 2019 (Harris, 2020). Children under the age of 18 years account for approximately 25.9% of the entire population, whereas the elderly above the age of 65 years account for approximately 6.8%. Women are more than men in this community, at a ratio of 96 men to 100 women.

The majority of the community members are whites, closely followed by African Americans, as other racial groups such as the Latino, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans account for a small percentage of the community.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Community

My aggregate comes from a community with adequate facilities necessary to facilitate healthy living. Resources such as transport and availability of easily accessible clean water and healthcare services were reported within the community. Consequently, the crime level within the community was reported to be minimal (Weisburd & White, 2019).

On the other hand, several challenges affecting the health and well-being of the community members were also reported. For instance, the community lack unity with poor communication and limited engagement especially when it comes to solving problems collectively.

The interviewee reported that most people do not involve themselves with other people’s problems, leading to increased stress and a lack of adequate coping mechanisms (Sprung & Rogers, 2021). Consequently, the community is next to a large water body that tends to suffer from water pollution, as some industries still dispose of their wastes into the water.

Strengths and Weaknesses of my Aggregate

My aggregate exhibits several advantages such as an appropriate family structure with good communication promoting stress coping mechanisms. Their families have a strong support system for one another, based on respect and good relationships (Susanto et al., 2018).

They also claimed that in case one family member encountered a problem, they would sit down together and find a solution, without giving up on the family members. However, they also encounter several challenges such as less communication among family members who moved to different geographical locations, hence losing the family support system which they enjoyed before.

Consequently, as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, most of the family members would fear visiting one another or engaging to prevent spreading the virus to their family members.

Risk Assessment

The main purpose of the risk assessment carried out was to analyze the hazards, risks, and vulnerability of my aggregate to promote the development of coping strategies and risk management initiatives (Susanto et al., 2018).

The three female participants between the ages of 35 to 44 years were interviewed independently to assess the risks associated with their environmental and occupational health, family assessment, and home assessment (Ezenwaji et al., 2019)

Environmental and Occupational Assessment

The environment of the target group was assessed using the comprehensive occupation and environmental history form. The assessment entailed three main parts, such as community exposures, home exposures, and work history (Sprung & Rogers, 2021).

Community exposures involved assessment of the location of the aggregates’ homes, accessibility to clean water, and common health disparities such as obesity and their prevalence within the neighborhood. The home exposures involved analysis of the time the home was constructed, general safety protocols, and condition of the available utilities among other exposures like the heating system.

The work assessment mainly focused on the total number of working hours per week, associated risks to injury or trauma, and exposure to occupational hazards such as dangerous chemicals and dust. All these aspects of the occupational and environmental assessment are crucial in identifying the actual sources of risk factors undermining the patient’s health.

Family assessment

The Friedman Family Assessment model was utilized to evaluate the family of the aggregate population. The main focus of the interview was on the family structure and stress and coping mechanisms displayed by the family members among other factors undermining the health of the family (Susanto et al., 2018).

Developmental stages and family composition were also assessed. The family power structure and the relationship among family members in terms of their decision-making process and communication patterns were the points of focus in family structure assessment. The family beliefs and values were also evaluated in relation to health stressors and coping mechanisms.

Home assessment

Assessment of the aggregates’ homes was conducted through short-answer structured interview questions regarding their exposures to build on information collected under environmental assessment as described above. The interview started with questions regarding the living condition, followed by maintenance and potential hazards within the house.

Other factors assessed include the fuel source, ventilation, and exposure to chemicals like pesticides (Sprung & Rogers, 2021). The location of the home was also analyzed in terms of terrain, and positioning of the house, including the surrounding neighborhood. Generally, the home assessment interview focused on collecting data regarding how safe the home was to promote the health and wellbeing of the aggregate.

Identified Health Risks

Through the assessment, several risk factors undermining the health of the aggregate were noted. For instance, environmental hazards such as water pollution and inaccessibility to clean air can contribute to the spread of infectious diseases.

Consequently, lack of community engagement and separation of the aggregate family members can also lead to less personal touch and engagement essential in promoting the mental health of the population. As such, the aggregate is at high risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Lastly, due to the current pandemic, most of the working-class members of the community are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus, leading to increased morbidity and mortality rates (Sen-Crowe et al., 2021).

Priority Diagnoses

The two priority nursing diagnoses affecting my aggregate are ineffective coping related to situational crises and hopelessness related to prolonged stress resulting from the fear of contracting the coronavirus (Huang et al., 2018).

Both the two nursing diagnoses led to the utilization of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD 7) questionnaires to determine the medical diagnosis for my aggregate. One of the 3 women scored 2 which indicates mild depression. The other two women recorded a total of 12 and 18 scores, which indicate moderate and moderately severe depression respectively.

Care Plan for Nursing Diagnosis

A care plan was developed based on the following goals, determining the degree of impairment, assessing the coping skills and abilities, assisting the patient to deal with the current situation, and promoting wellness (la Fuente-Solana et al., 2019).

To achieve these goals, several strategies will be applied such as providing for the physical needs of my aggregate by assisting with self-care at home and work and personal hygiene, assuming an active role in initiating communication with my to promote sharing of their experience and how it affects their health and finally educate patients on work-related depression and anxiety, and appropriate ways to avoid or deal with them.

Care Plan for Medical Diagnosis

Based on the conducted mental evaluation by use of PHQ, and GAD-7, the three female patients were diagnosed with mild, moderate depression, and moderately severe depression.

Clinical guidelines recommend the use of psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions for the management of major depressive disorder among adults (Tully & Tao, 2019). However, the treatment choice depends on the severity of the condition. For instance, the first patient presents with mild depression, which can be managed by nonpharmacological interventions like psychotherapy and life modifications.

Psychotherapeutic approaches recommended for mild depression include behavioral therapy, problem-solving therapy, and self-management/self-control therapy (Kantor & Kantor, 2020). The second patient with moderate depression will be managed using psychotherapy alone and the patient’s symptoms observed to assess the need of using an antidepressant.

The third patient with moderately severe depression will be managed using psychotherapy, in addition to the use of antidepressants such as amitriptyline 25mg at bedtime.

Implemented Intervention

In the management of the mental issues displayed by my aggregate, we decided that the three women engaged with a professional mental health therapist through zoom, of which one of them was able to open up, and claims that she felt better afterward (la Fuente-Solana et al., 2019).

She was also able to tell her friends about her working situation and how it affects her mental health. This strategy has been proven to be an effective way of dealing with mental problems among frontline healthcare workers.

Conclusion

The mental health of the middle-aged women in Fort Pierce Florida between the ages of 35 to 44 years as my aggregate, just like other women across the world has been negatively affected during the covid-19 pandemic.

The conducted risk assessment revealed that my aggregate had a high risk of work-related anxiety and depression. They were diagnosed with mild depression, moderate depression, and moderately severe depression.

The care plan involved both psychotherapy and the use of antidepressants such as amitriptyline. Therapy through zoom by a professional was implemented with positive results.

References

• Ezenwaji, I. O., Eseadi, C., Okide, C. C., Nwosu, N. C., Ugwoke, S. C., Ololo, K. O., … & Oboegbulem, A. I. (2019). Work-related stress, burnout, and related sociodemographic factors among nurses Implications for administrators, research, and policy. Medicine, 98(3). DOI 10.1097/MD.0000000000013889
  
• Harris, J. E. (2020). COVID-19 case mortality rates continue to decline in Florida. medRxiv. https //doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.03.20167338
• Huang, C. L. C., Wu, M. P., Ho, C. H., & Wang, J. J. (2018). Risks of treated anxiety, depression, and insomnia among nurses A nationwide longitudinal cohort study. PLoS One, 13(9), e0204224. https //doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204224
  
• Kantor, B. N., & Kantor, J. (2020). Mental health outcomes and associations during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic a cross-sectional survey of the US general population. MedRxiv. https //doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2021.01.076
  
• la Fuente-Solana, D., Emilia, I., Suleiman-Martos, N., Pradas-Hernández, L., Gomez-Urquiza, J. L., & Albendín-García, L. (2019). Prevalence, related factors, and levels of burnout syndrome among nurses working in gynecology and obstetrics services A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(14), 2585. https //doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142585
  
• Sen-Crowe, B., Sutherland, M., McKenney, M., & Elkbuli, A. (2021). The Florida COVID-19 mystery lessons to be learned. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. DOI 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.08.009
  
• Sprung, J. M., & Rogers, A. (2021). Work-life balance as a predictor of college student anxiety and depression. Journal of American college health, 69(7), 775-782. https //doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1706540
  
• Susanto, T., Arisandi, D., Kumakura, R., Oda, A., Koike, M., Tsuda, A., … & Sugama, J. (2018). Development and testing of the family structure and family functions scale for parents providing adolescent reproductive health based on the Friedman family assessment model. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 26(2), 217-236. DOI 10.1891/1061-3749.26.2.217
  
• Tully, S., & Tao, H. (2019). CE Original research Work-related stress and positive thinking among acute care nurses A cross-sectional survey. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 119(5), 24-31. DOI 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000557886.73585.d2
  
• Weisburd, D., & White, C. (2019). Hot spots of crime are not just hot spots of crime examining health outcomes at street segments. Journal of contemporary criminal justice, 35(2), 142-160. https //doi.org/10.1177/1043986219832132Top of Form