Being health literate means maintaining a high standard of living and eliminating issues that may negatively affect well-being. Children need to have various health-related skills, depending on their age. School-age health literacy is crucial, as children need to know how to comply with health recommendations and make better health-related choices.
Preparation of the informational and methodological environment toward the development of literacy should begin with planning a health literacy program. It is important to find out about the social and cultural context of the school, as well as to learn about its environment and main issues facing different age groups (Marks, 2012). It is essential to define the audience and understand what characteristics should be taken into consideration (gender, ethnicity, behavioral aspects). Carefully identifying the target messages of the program and the best ways of delivering them (for instance, email, print material materials, etc.) will determine the success of program implementation.
At the beginning of the assessment process, a nurse should exclude barriers to program implementation and create a shame-free environment to promote successful navigation of the healthcare system. A nurse can prepare children of different ages to communicate problems to their nurse (Marks, 2012). The nurse should utilize various materials, and inquire and seek behavioral clues. A nurse should give guidelines for further health improvement, stimulate self-learning and encourage all children to assess for themselves whether or not their well-being and understanding of their body processes have improved by the end of the program.
Successful program implementation implies that the educational curriculum and topics for health-related lessons are planned thoroughly. Additionally, the specialist will need high-quality health improvement resources for parents in the context of nutrition, health services and child welfare (Marks, 2012). A combination of pre- and post-planning will increase comprehension of health literacy.
The family crisis can be defined as a serious destabilizing mental condition caused by distinct changes in life. Psychosocial and sociocultural environment are integral parts of well-being, and they affect the ability to form relationships, to work and to make adequate life choices. The social circumstances and the environment in which Mrs. Brown lives have influenced her mental state.
Mrs. Brown has been experiencing a chronic situational crisis, which led her to a situation in which she wants to commit suicide (Neeraja, 2011). During past years, she has faced various problems, such as the loss of her husband and her father, the serious illness of her mother and her own inability to find a job. At present, she has to take care of three children and her mother, who cannot function independently. This type of situation would affect anyone and in order to help a family in crisis, a nurse intervention may be necessary.
First, Mrs. Brown needs to express to her emotional stress and feeling of dispiritedness. The nurse should encourage the client to reveal her feelings, release stress and discuss how certain events developed into this crisis (Townsend, 2013). After that, the client should identify with the nurse possible paths toward overcoming difficulties. Apart from the personal approach, the nurse needs to observe how the crisis affected the family as a whole, and propose possible solutions to stabilize the situation.
Cases like this are common across varying populations. Phone support is vital, in addition to direct personal assistance. Promoting an anonymous child support line for children would help kids who have physiological problems or who face difficult life situations. In addition, organizing consultancy services at state centers would help more extensive populations than do personal consultations. Timely nurse intervention can help to overcome accumulated stress and avoid possible consequences of any crisis.
References
Marks, R. (2012). Health literacy and school-based health education. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd.
Neeraja, K. P. (2011). Textbook of communication and education technology for nurses. London, UK: JP Medical Ltd.
Townsend, M. C. (2013). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based practice. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.