Health promotion is one of the key elements of nursing care that necessitates the identification of illness prevention opportunities during the course of care provision (Miller, 2013). The development health promotion programs by nurses can substantially improve the ability of patients to manage their conditions, thereby reducing the financial burden of healthcare provision in the country. This is especially important since more than a half of the US population has chronic diseases that account for a large share of healthcare expenditures (Bauer, Briss, Goodman, & Bowman, 2014).
In order to better understand how to effectively engage in health promotion for patients, healthcare practitioners should actively practice self-care. By doing so, they will immensely benefit from “the positive energy and vitality that can be brought to the workplace” (Blum, 2014, p. 1). The aim of this paper is to outline a personal health promotion plan for addressing a lack of physical activity.
Terms
Health planning is a process that is characterized by a constant change (Pender, Murdaugh, & Parsons, 2014). Therefore, it is necessary to provide proper definitions for key concepts associated with the plan, thereby eliminating multiple interpretations that might cause confusion. Health can be defined as a holistic experience of physical and mental wellbeing that is connected to social and family determinants of individual’s environment. Disease is a concept that refers to an impairment of the regular functioning of an individual with respect to a statistical average (Pender et al., 2014). Self-care is a concept that is closely aligned with self-empowerment and can be defined as “individual responsibility to promote one’s health and well-being” (Pender et al., 2014, p. 235).
Literature Review
Multiple lines of independent investigation point to the fact that a lack of physical activity is associated with a wide range of chronic diseases (Booth, Roberts, & Laye, 2012; Matson, 2012). Physical inactivity reduces physical, cardiorespiratory, and strength finesses of an individual, thereby exposing them to a large number of functional decrements that often result in premature mortality. For example, a study conducted by Du et al. (2013) reveals that excessive sedentary leisure time is positively associated with an increased adiposity. The findings of a systematic review by Reiner, Niermann, Jekauc, and Woll (2013) show that the development of noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus can be prevented with the help of physical activity. It follows that by increasing the level of one’s physical activity, it is possible to reduce their risk of developing many chronic conditions.
Plan
Strengths
My strengths include, but are not limited to, strong frameworks of primary and secondary support, steady employment, financial stability, readiness for change, and favorable relationships with colleagues.
Risk Factors
The following major risk factors contribute to the development of noncommunicable diseases: unhealthy dietary practices, occupational stress, elevated blood pressure, high waist-hip ratio, and moderate life change among others (Kumar & Preetha, 2012).
Nursing Diagnoses
Upon assessing my functional health patterns, it has been possible to make two nursing diagnoses: sedentary lifestyle and altered nutrition.
Medical Diagnosis
Mild hypertension is the only medical diagnosis that is applicable to my case.
Desired Behavioral and Health Outcomes
To start engaging in a regular exercise (three times per week) and reduce blood pressure and weight.
Personal Health Goals and Intervention Strategies
The first health goal, which has the highest priority, is to decrease my weight by 15 lb. A lifestyle intervention will help me to achieve this goal. There is ample evidence that lifestyle interventions can be effectively used to prevent weight gain and decrease hypertension (Sargent, Forrest, & Parker, 2012). Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate my current activity levels and create an exercise program that corresponds to my unique needs and conditions. After the evaluation, exercise barriers should be indicated. The lifestyle intervention will be of behavioral nature and include hiking and running. Therefore, I will have to conduct a literature search on proper warm-up and cool-down exercises that are necessary to avoid muscle strain and other injuries. I will also measure my optimal heart rate during exercise, which will help to better control the proper intensity of physical activities. The second personal goal is to reduce my hypertension risk. The goal will be achieved with the help of a low-sodium diet and physical exercise, which are important elements of blood pressure control (Sargent et al., 2012).
Theories
The development of the self-care health promotion plan is the process that is closely aligned with philosophical foundations of Watson’s theory of human caring. The connection is especially evident in the third carative factor—“the cultivation of sensitivity to one’s self and to others” (Wayne, 2016, para. 9). However, the process can also be squared with Orem’s theory of self-care. The theory emphasizes self-sufficiency and posits that the identification of potential health problems helps to initiate self-care behaviors (Smith & Parker, 2015).
Conclusion
The paper has presented the self-care health promotion plan. The plan revolves around a lack of physical exercise as a lifestyle issue that can put me at risk for the development of numerous chronic diseases. The paper has also outlined intervention strategies and discussed theories associated with the plan.
References
Bauer, U. E., Briss, P. A., Goodman, R. A., & Bowman, B. A. (2014). Prevention of chronic disease in the 21st century: Elimination of the leading preventable causes of premature death and disability in the USA. Lancet, 384, 45-52.
Blum, C. A. (2014). Practicing self-care for nurses: A nursing program initiative. OJIN, 19(3), 1-12.
Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K., & Laye, M. J. (2012). Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Comprehensive Physiology, 2(2), 1143-1211.
Du, H., Bennett, D., Li, L., Whitlock, G., Guo, Y., Collins, R.,… Cheng, Z. (2013). Physical activity and sedentary leisure time and their associations with BMI, waist circumference, and percentage body fat in 0.5 million adults: The China Kadoorie Biobank study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 97(3), 487-496.
Kumar, S., & Preetha, G. S. (2012). Health promotion: An effective tool for global health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 37(1), 5-12.
Matson, M. P. (2012). Energy intake and exercise as determinants of brain health and vulnerability to injury and disease. Cell Metabolism, 16(6), 706-722.
Miller, C. A. (2013). Fast facts for health promotion in nursing: Promoting wellness in a nutshell. New York, NY: Springer.
Pender, N. J., Murdaugh, C. L., & Parsons, M. A. (2014). Health promotion in nursing practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Reiner, M., Niermann, C., Jekauc, D., & Woll, A. (2013). Long-term health benefits of physical activity – a systematic review of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health, 13, 813-821.
Sargent, G. M., Forrest, L. E., & Parker, R. M. (2012). Nurse delivered lifestyle interventions in primary health care to treat chronic disease risk factors associated with obesity: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 13(12), 1148-1171.
Smith, M. C., & Parker, M. E. (2015). Nursing theories and nursing practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
Wayne, G. (2016). Jean Watson’s theory of human caring. Web.