Introduction
Developing a relevant care plan in a particular community is the task that requires an integrated approach to assessing all current factors affecting health and highlighting the most significant ones. Based on such characteristics as population, average income, and other indicators, it is possible to determine which interventions are the most appropriate for solving certain problems. As a target aggregate, the city of Miami, Florida, is taken as a basis.
Despite the fact that this place is the prosperous center of the state, some complexities exist here, and necessary work is to be conducted. In particular, such problems as food insecurity and the prevalence of heart diseases deserve attention. Also, the geographical location of the city requires developing an appropriate disaster management plan that is necessary to protect the population from natural disasters. Comprehensive nursing intervention with current diagnoses and the well-thought-out system of people’s protection may be effective in improving the health of city residents and preventing security threats.
Priority Nursing Diagnoses
Drawing up an intervention plan aimed at raising the level of public health should be accompanied by the analysis of current indicators and a search for the most pressing health problems. Based on the work done, one of the most significant threats to the health of the city residents is food insecurity. Despite the fact that this nursing diagnosis is typical for communities with a low level of economic development, in the aggregate under consideration, a threat to the separate part of the population exists. According to Feeding South Florida (2018), in Miami-Dade County, the food insecurity rate is about 9.1% (para. 1).
Such an indicator requires intervention since many people live in the community, and this percentage is evidence of the issue’s relevance. Moreover, “19.4 percent of children in South Florida are food insecure, meaning approximately 240,190 children go to bed hungry every night” (Feeding South Florida, 2018, para. 2). Therefore, this issue requires a solution and stakeholder involvement to consider the problem in detail.
Another health issue in this community is unstable blood pressure. Based on Florida Health (2017), this diagnosis is inextricably linked to heart diseases that make up “3 out of 10 deaths in Florida” (para. 1). The intervention aimed at educating the public about the need to control blood pressure and seek help promptly is an essential condition for preventing mortality and increasing the level of literacy regarding this problem.
The urgency of this problem lies in the fact that unstable pressure is the direct cause of hypertension, which is significantly more difficult to control and treat. In order to avoid an increase in the number of patients suffering from such an ailment, work should involve constant monitoring by healthcare employees. Therefore, solving the issue of blood pressure requires the joint participation of both people from the community and the medical staff.
Strategies to Address the Diagnoses and Risks
To avoid dangerous consequences for public health, suitable strategies should be found to address the aforementioned diagnoses. As Palar et al. (2015) note, food insecurity is often “associated with depression and poor mental health status, independent of other indicators of low socioeconomic status” (p. 1528). Therefore, it is extremely important to take measures to prevent the occurrence of related factors that affect the health of Miami’s population adversely. The same approach should be maintained regarding the problem of unstable blood pressure.
One of the potentially successful strategies for combating food insecurity is involving the authorities in the employment of the population and the provision of more favorable working conditions. Low household income, as Palar et al. (2015) remark, is the primary cause of the diagnosis under consideration. Accordingly, the higher the budget level of families is, the lower is the risk of food insecurity. Therefore, cooperation with officials should be based on the search for mutual interests and increasing the motivation for the population to participate in the city’s life.
To solve the problem of unstable blood pressure in the Miami population, some changes in the work regime may help to achieve positive outcomes. According to Florida Health (2017), “about 60 percent of adults work and spend much of their day at their worksite” (para. 11). Such a load may become critical, and the development of relaxation methods is desirable. The management of different organizations can organize short breaks for their subordinates, provide them with free access to sports activities, and promote a healthy lifestyle. In this case, the consequences of excessive workload will be less noticeable, and positive results will be achieved.
Disaster Management Plan
Drawing up a suitable disaster management plan is an essential task for the population of the aggregate in question since, due to the geographical location of the city, external natural threats are a potentially dangerous phenomenon. As Sarmiento et al. (2015) argue, hydro-meteorological disasters are the most significant for Miami, and floods often accompany tropical storms. In order to avoid this threat, the population of the city and its surroundings should be aware of the correct measures to protect against cataclysms and the actions to be taken in case of danger.
Both government officials and the members of medical communities should conduct appropriate educational programs and TV and/or radio broadcasts concerning preventive measures. People need to know how to protect themselves and their property from floods and stop the global tragedy. A plan may include training with rescue personnel, educational programs for children, and other useful methods of educating the population.
Another potentially dangerous natural disaster that can affect people is drought. Due to the fact that the climate of Miami is tropical, an extremely high temperature is quite a common phenomenon. The representatives of medical communities should explain to the population necessary preventive measures aimed at protecting them from the harmful effects of the sun. Special booklets and videos can be prepared to remind people of the importance of self-protection during a, particularly severe drought.
Also, regarding the issue of nutrition in hot weather, Palar et al. (2015) propose to develop special nutrition programs that will be useful for different categories of the population. If people adhere to the conditions of such a plan, the number of visits to doctors with fainting, heat strokes, and body burns will decrease. Therefore, relevant materials should be prepared for distribution to the residents of the aggregate.
Conclusion
Ensuring the safety of public health in the community in question may be achieved through timely interventions aimed at addressing the diagnoses made and preventing the dangerous effects of natural disasters. Among the health problems, food insecurity and unstable blood pressure occupy essential roles. Floods and drought are those disasters that should be prevented by any means. The participation of all stakeholders is necessary to protect the population of Miami and to improve the health indicators of people.
References
Feeding South Florida. (2018). South Florida continues to face hunger challenges.
Florida Health. (2017). Heart disease.
Palar, K., Kushel, M., Frongillo, E. A., Riley, E. D., Grede, N., Bangsberg, D., & Weiser, S. D. (2015). Food insecurity is longitudinally associated with depressive symptoms among homeless and marginally-housed individuals living with HIV. AIDS and Behavior, 19(8), 1527-1534. Web.
Sarmiento, J. P., Hoberman, G., Ilcheva, M., Asgary, A., Majano, A. M., Poggione, S., & Duran, L. R. (2015). Private sector and disaster risk reduction: The cases of Bogota, Miami, Kingston, San Jose, Santiago, and Vancouver. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 14(3), 225-237. Web.