People at Risk
When it comes to contracting tuberculosis from Jose, Jill’s patient, it is essential to take into consideration that the employees working at the farm where he is employed are at a higher risk because they did not have knowledge about their co-worker’s illness and thus did not pay any attention to protecting themselves from contact with him.
How TB is Transmitted
To explain how tuberculosis is transmitted, the Epidemiologic Triad can be used. Within such a framework, three verticles play a role in the transmission of a virus. The first verticle is the agent, which is defined as a microbe that becomes the direct cause of tuberculosis. The second verticle is the host, which is defined as an organism that harbors the infection. The last verticle is the environment, which is a combination of outside factors that either contribute or allow the disease to get transferred between the agent and the host. In this particular scenario with Jill and his patient, Jose plays the role of the host; the tuberculosis virus is the agent, while the environment refers to Jose’s transient lifestyle and the fact that he belongs to a high-risk population for TB.
Prevention Strategies
Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention interventions can all help manage the disease and make sure that it is not transmitted further. The primary intervention used by Jill in this scenario refers to his efforts to conduct a screening of populations at risk of having TB as well as introducing an educational program to inform the population about crucial points associated with the prevention and management of the disease. When it comes to secondary interventions, they usually imply diagnosis and treatment (Harkness & DeMarco, 2012). In Nurse Jill’s case, the secondary prevention intervention was linked to her being successful in finding the patient and deciding to enroll him in DOT for treating the condition. Lastly, the tertiary prevention strategy is associated with the efforts to implement rehabilitation measures, which have not been described in the case study. However, it is expected that Jill will introduce rehabilitation strategies after the patient’s treatment to ensure that he reaches his maximum capability post-recovery.
Barriers and Their Elimination
In the case study, Nurse Jill had to overcome some obstacles that prevented her from getting full control of the patient’s condition. Key limitations were associated with tracking down the patient who lived a predominantly transient lifestyle and could not be found in places of his previous residence, language barriers between Jill and Jose’s friends who could only speak Spanish, as well as the low income of the patient, which suggests that he may be less inclined to comply with the treatment of TB or seek care overall.
It can be advised for Nurse Jill to implement patient education in Jose’s case and teach him about the importance of health literacy when dealing with such dangerous illnesses as tuberculosis. Because Jose does not live in the same place all the time and that he does not possess financial resources to educate himself, health literacy teaching can address these two barriers. According to the research conducted by Bitzer and Sporhase (2015), health literacy can enhance patients’ participation and thus increase the likelihood of successful medical rehabilitation. The goal of educating the patient can be achieved through using relevant programs developed from relevant research, theoretically supported advice, and strategies targeted at developing health literacy competencies. When it comes to overcoming the language barrier, Nurse Jill can practice basic knowledge to expand her knowledge, which can also be useful in the future.
References
Bitzer, E., & Sporhase, U. (2015). Health literacy and patient education in medical rehabilitation. Bundesgesundheitsblatt, 58(9), 983-988.
Harkness, G., & DeMarco, R. (2012). Community and public health nursing: Evidence for practice. Philadephia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health.