DNP 825 In creating a new community-based health program, what program development model would you use and why?
The involvement of community health care workers is necessary. Research shows that the involvement in care better patient outcomes. Zulkiply et al. (2020) support that the involvement of community health workers also results in prevention of non- communicable disease. An example in which this can be effective is in smoking cessation. With this said, current programs are variable dependent, with differences in trainings, demographics, and setting (Zulkiply et al., 2020). Researchers in the systemic review were able to identify that there is a gap between primary care and community health (Zulkiply et al., 2020). Advocacy for funding in programs that focus on non-communicable disease can potentially improve this gap. Due to the health risk factors that smoking cause such as cancers, cardiovascular, and respiratory disease it is evidence that an additional focus should be placed on this issue. Finding a standardized plan that is also flexible to fit different setting is necessary. This can entail further assessment of current programs that exist and identifying what aspects of the program are effective and which ones are not.
There are several frameworks in placed that assist community health programs to improve health disparities. A role that the future DNP prepared nurse holds includes advocacy. This skill is one that is to be used at different levels. A community health worker can advocate at a clinical level, and an administration role. Logan (2019) program model outlines advocacy in a micro, macro, and professional level. The micro involves the individual itself, where the leader changes policy withing there area of work, speaks to other providers on behalf of patients, locates resources to improve health, and providing education to empower self- sufficiency (Logan, 2019). In the macro phase there is a responsibility to attend political rallies, participate in community coalitions, and encourage patients to participate in politics (Logan, 2019). The professional level the health care worker advocates to the employer, spreads awareness in the public and or workforce (Logan, 2019). Recommendations to make this program successful and sustainable would be incentivizing those who are actively involved in this level of advocacy. Direct clinical work entails completing notes outside of work and ongoing education, thus those involved in providing services will be investing more time to effectively advocate.
References:
Logan, R. I. (2019). Being a Community Health Worker Means Advocating: Participation, Perceptions, and Challenges in Advocacy. Anthropology in Action, 26(2), 9–18. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.3167/aia.2019.260202
Zulkiply, S. H., Ramli, L. F., Fisal, Z. A. M., Tabassum, B., & Manaf, R. A. (2020). Effectiveness of community health workers involvement in smoking cessation programme: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 15(11). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242691
