Creating premises for improving public health and preventing health issues in community members are some of the core goals that a health expert must pursue. Furthermore, a proper understanding of the very concept of health is required to ensure consistent support for patients. As a mental health worker, I have developed a clear understanding of the notions in question and a flexible approach to managing community members’ needs (Nyashanu, Pfende, and Ekpenyong, 2020; Peretz, Islam, and Matiz, 2020). By embracing both positive and negative effects of factors such as digital media, spiritual beliefs and traditions, and accessibility of healthcare resources, a mental health worker can promote a proper understanding of mental health issues in the target population, people at risk, and family members.
The notion of health and, by extension, health promotion might appear to be far too abstract to be defined accurately. Indeed, given the differences in the perception of health and its maintenance in different cultures, the definition of the described concepts may vary both culturally and individually, with every person having a unique idea of what health and its management could represent (Ference et al., 2018). Personally, I tend to believe that a combination of the perspectives offered by Orem and Nightingale should be regarded when defining health.
Namely, the subject matter should be interpreted as being functionally sound and structurally complete, which is the interpretation provided by Dorothea Orem (Yip, 2021). However, the specified interpretation lacks the idea of complexity and interconnectedness between the core aspects of health, which is why Watson’s idea of health as the unity of mental, physical, and spiritual well-being should be incorporated into the specified interpretation (Alharbi and Baker, 2020). Therefore, health promotion should be defined as the encouragement of patients to be able to identify key health risks and locate the resources needed to address the specified threats (Arnetz et al., 2020). The specified definition aligns with my experience as a mental health worker since I have observed multiple situations in which patients’ recovery hinged on the availability of opportunities for spiritual support (Hawthorne and Gordon, 2020). Additionally, I have witnessed scenarios that demonstrated physical well-being combined with a deteriorating mind and vice versa. The specified experiences have convinced me in the necessity to support all three of the well-being facets.
The variety of risks and threats makes health promotion and maintenance especially complicated. Specifically, numerous misconceptions and myths spread on social media and encouraging people to avoid consulting healthcare experts must be regarded as some of the most dangerous examples of health risks (Al-Otaibi, Moawed, and Al-Harbi, 2018). Combined with the lack of general knowledge on addressing major health concerns, the specified factor may lead to drastic health outcomes unless addressed (Ayorinde and Alabi, 2019). In turn, my definition of health promotion is the task of guiding patients toward learning to identify immediate sources of healthcare assistance and using them accordingly.
It should be noted that an individual’s health can be affected by multiple issues. For instance, the presence of viruses and similar sources of the disease may lead to quick contagion that will be difficult to cure (Al Shamsi et al., 2020). Therefore, strategies geared toward providing patients with sufficient health resources and opportunities for containing healthcare ad nursing experts must be offered. Thus, the basis for successful treatment will be created.
Utilizing the available resources, including social media, a social mental health worker will improve and shape people’s understanding of health and health management, thus, building awareness among patients, their families, and community members. As a result, patients will receive immediate access to the required resources, whereas the community will no longer impose the stigma of a mental health disorder on a vulnerable population. Therefore, the emphasis on patient education and community awareness must be prioritized.
Reference List
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Alharbi, K. M., and Baker, O. G. (2020) ‘Jean Watson’s middle range theory of human caring: A critique’, International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Scientific Research, 3(1), pp. 1-14.
Al-Otaibi, H., Moawed, S. A., and Al-Harbi, M. F. (2018) ‘Nurses’ medication errors in the pediatric emergency department in Saudi Arabia’, Middle East Journal of Nursing, 101(5829), pp. 1-11.
Arnetz, J. E., Goetz, C. M., Arnetz, B. B., and Arble, E. (2020) ‘Nurse reports of stressful situations during the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative analysis of survey responses’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), p. 8126.
Ayorinde, M. O., and Alabi, P. I. (2019) ‘Perception and contributing factors to medication administration errors among nurses in Nigeria’, International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 11, pp. 1-14. Web.
Ference, B. A., Graham, I., Tokgozoglu, L., and Catapano, A. L. (2018) ‘Impact of lipids on cardiovascular health: JACC health promotion series’, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 72(10), pp. 1141-1156.
Hawthorne, D. M., and Gordon, S. C. (2020) ‘The invisibility of spiritual nursing care in clinical practice’, Journal of Holistic Nursing, 38(1), pp. 147-155.
Nyashanu, M., Pfende, F., and Ekpenyong, M. (2020) ‘Exploring the challenges faced by frontline workers in health and social care amid the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences of frontline workers in the English Midlands region, UK’, Journal of Interprofessional Care, 34(5), pp. 655-661.
Peretz, P. J., Islam, N., and Matiz, L. A. (2020) ‘Community health workers and Covid-19—addressing social determinants of health in times of crisis and beyond’, New England Journal of Medicine, 383(19), p. 108.
Yip, J. Y. C. (2021) ‘Theory-based advanced nursing practice: a practice update on the application of Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory’, SAGE Open Nursing, 7, pp. 1-8.