By Dulce Maria Ruelas
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
National Public Health Week is about bringing awareness to issues we deal with but may never speak about. Thus far we have been discussing vital topics in our lives— like healthy communities, violence prevention and rural health. What have you been thinking public health is? Have you tried to define it?
By Dr. Jason Paltzer
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
What really distinguishes “global health” from public health or community health? Some would argue that global health is related to issues that transcend borders or the idea that countries need to understand international shifts in policy to control diseases at home.
By Yanitza Soto
Alum, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Community Health Workers commonly referred to as CHWs are recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor and defined by American Public Health Association. Due to the variety of job titles, the umbrella job title of Community Health Worker is used to encompass the scope of work and practice. The American Public Health Association defines CHWs as:
By Veronica Perez, MPH, CHES
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
We continue to celebrate National Public Health Week and our daily theme for today is rural health. People who live in rural areas can face different kinds of health issues and concerns compared to people living in urban areas. There are many ways to define a rural community, but generally speaking, “rural” refers to communities that are outside the boundaries of large metropolitan areas with populations of less than 50,000 people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018). My family comes from a rural area and I grew up in a rural community for part of my life. I have seen the health care related challenges and struggles our community faced and it helped to shape my interest in public health.
By Chantelle P. Ballard
MPH Student, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Today is the second day of celebrating National Public Health Week. The daily theme is violence prevention, an element of public health that is part of daily live in our communities but often shunned.
Violence wreaks havoc on communities across the world. The result of violence ruins homes, tears down neighborhoods and leaves those affected by it in emotional turmoil. Every day we see others who suffer because of violence and feel as if we can do nothing to prevent it. Violence comes in different forms; we are all aware of gun violence. According to the American Public Health Association (APHA), gun-related deaths are steadily rising with over 27,000 deaths related to homicides and almost 45,000 suicides between 2015 and 2016 which all involved guns (APHA, n.d).
By Danielle Henderson
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Welcome to National Public Health Week. A time we take to focus and address issues that affect individuals and communities at large. This year we have a variety of themes provided by the American Public Health Association to continue to create and build the healthies nation. Today’s theme is Healthy Communities.
By Xochitl Wilson
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
It truly is March Madness! From Basketball, Registered Dietician Nutritionist Day on March 13 and National Nutrition Month, so many delightful things to celebrate this month. All in honor of our health and wellbeing.
By Chantelle Ballard
MPH Student, College of Nursing and Health Professions
It’s World Kidney Day and one of the best ways to highlight the importance of your kidneys is to become educated about their actual functions. Learning how to care for two of your most essential organs properly will benefit you in more ways than one. So in honor of World Kidney Day, here are the three overall functions of your kidneys and the simple ways you can help to keep them in optimal shape.
One of the primary functions of our kidneys is to remove waste and excess substances from your blood and digestion system. Your kidneys not only eliminates waste but acts to maintain balance in fluid intake, mineral and nutritious substances, as well as blood regulation.
What you can do: Maintain a healthy intake of fluids, ideally making sure you’re getting at least 2-3 liters of water per day (CDC, 2005). This will allow for your kidneys properly filter out any toxins or waste product from your circulatory systems.
Your kidneys also function as a regulatory organ, which maintains function needed to circulate blood through our arteries properly (NIDDK, 2018). Over time, however, if not regulated, high blood pressure (HBP) can cause corrosion to those arteries, causing weakening or narrowing. This can ultimately lead to kidney failure, with HBP being the second leading cause for malfunction.
What you can do: According to the American Heart Association, the best way to prevent kidney failure is to manage your blood pressure (AHA, n.d.). Kidney failure happens over a length of time and can be avoided. Keep a record or your blood pressure numbers, eat a balanced diet, limit sodium intake and exercise regularly for optimal health.
Kidneys produce two important hormones: erythropoietin & renim. Erythropoietin acts as a stimulus and controlling agent for the production of red blood cells, while renim helps to controls the balance of water and sodium levels, and also regulates blood pressure levels (NIDDK, 2018).
What you can do: Limit your use of pain medications and opioids. Many people suffer from kidney stones and other pains that may increase their use of medications. However, Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen and aspirin, can over time damage the function of your kidneys and hinder the production of these hormones (Dixit, Doan, Kirschner & Dexit, 2010).
Hopefully, for this National Kidney Day, this post has given insight on the functions of your kidneys and what you can do to keep them in the best shape as possible!
The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions helps students prepare for rewarding careers in the healthcare field. Learn more by visiting our website or contacting us using the green Request More Information button at the top of the page.
References:
Dixit, M., Doan, T., Kirschner, R., & Dixit, N. (2010). Significant acute kidney injury due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Inpatient detting. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI),3(4), 1279-1285. doi: 10.3390/ph3041279
How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Kidney Damage or Failure. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-can-lead-to-kidney-damage-or-failure
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2018). Your Kidneys & How They Work. Retrieved from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidneys-how-they-work
Plain Water, the Healthier Choice. (2019, February 4). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/plain-water-the-healthier-choice.html
By Chantelle Ballard
Student, College of Nursing and Health Professions in the Master of Public Health Program
What does depression look like? How do you put a face on an emotion that is often masked by subtle abnormalities, but not always directly expressed? As health care professionals, our number one priority for individuals is to maintain their highest level of well-being. The capacity for which we measure health is not limited to just the physical being, but the state of mind as well. The importance of mental health has become widespread in health education. Now it is more vital than before that we continue to grow and develop our understanding of the complexities that often warp our mental wellness. So, what exactly, is depression?
Depression can be defined as a pathological, constant and pervasive state of mood (Gelenberg & Hopkins, 2007). According to authors Richardson and Adams (2018), signs of depression include changes in everyday behaviors like a decrease or increase in appetite, memory fog, sleep disturbances, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities and a decrease in energy (Richardson & Adams, 2018).
Patients who are dealing with chronic illnesses are also more at risk and likely to develop depression (Richardson & Adams, 2018). Depression can also begin as a string of events that turns into an overwhelming mental breakdown.
Picture this: an individual dealing with an ongoing illness may also begin developing financial issues due to time off work or increasing medical bills. Over time, the illness progresses and bills begin to stack up. Then, outside of health concerns, they may also begin having family issues and feelings of isolation may arise. This individual may begin to experience anxiety, exhibit erratic behavior or show signs of total sadness.
Depression, however, can also manifest as a feeling of emptiness, void of any emotion at all. Therefore, it is important that we learn to pinpoint the deviations in an individual’s behavior and understand what their form of depression looks like, this can then assist your health care professional formulate a tailored treatment plan.
Other signs to look out for in everyday encounters with individuals are major deviances in behaviors that are not perceived as normal for that individual. If an individual is usually upbeat and positive and over time, becomes reclusive, inhibiting feelings of anger or begins to view things in a negative light, then the individual may be showing signs of a major cognitive change or depressive symptoms.
It is essential to not only care for individuals with the best of our abilities and skill but also to get to know them. Pay attention to the things they talk about, how they carry themselves, habitual behaviors that may suddenly or even gradually change. Something as simple as being attentive to patient behaviors and actively engaging with those you care for may make a significant difference in the type of care they receive.
Every individual will not be able to express what they are feeling or is willing to be open about depression. As health care professionals, we must be able to bridge the gap, to start the conversation, and be attentive to not just their physical care, but mental health care as well.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression please connect with your primary care physician. You may also call Mentalhelp.net at 1-866-277-8525 where someone will answer 24/7. If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Your education at Grand Canyon University combines modern knowledge and technical skills with Christ’s wisdom. If a career in health care management is your calling in life, click on the Request More Information button at the top of our website. You can apply today for admission to our Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration degree program, offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions.
References
Gelenberg, A.J. & Hopkins, H.S. (2007). Assessing and treating depression in primary care medicine.
The American Journal of Medicine, 120(2), 105 – 108.
Luann Richardson, Susie Adams (2018). Cognitive deficits in patients with depression, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 14(6), 437-443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2018.03.006.
By Dulce Ruelas
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professionals
February is Go Red for Women from the American Heart Association. This is a movement to inspire, mobilize and potentially change lifestyles around heart disease. Did you know that there are one in three women in the United States that are living with some form of cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association, 2019)? There are many preventative measures that we can take throughout our life. As a woman and teaching public health it is important for me to share with you that the more we know, the better opportunities we provide ourselves to be in better health. We should know the symptoms of a heart attack and stroke. We must be aware if we are living with heart disease.