NURS 6730 Week 2: Public Health Leadership in a Changing Society

NURS 6730: Public Health Nursing Leadership | Week 2

Today’s public health professionals, who are tasked with protecting and promoting the public’s health, face ongoing challenges in areas such as obesity, chronic disease, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, mental health, injury and violence, and the environment. Experts have called for changes in vision among those leading future efforts to address these needs. However, simply having a new vision is not sufficient; leadership skills are also needed to implement and sustain change while also remaining adaptive to the needs of an ever-changing society.

This week, you will examine various factors influencing population health outcomes, such as the social determinants of health. You will gain a broader understanding of the public health challenges facing our society as well as the adaptive leadership skills required of individuals rising to these challenges. You will also identify a current public health issue of interest that you will continue to explore through the lens of public health nursing leadership over the remainder of this course.

Learning Objectives – NURS 6730 Week 2: Public Health Leadership in a Changing Society

Students will:

• Identify social determinants of health that influence public health issues (D)
• Propose solutions to address public health issues (D)
• Identify stakeholders to support leadership efforts to address public health issues (D)
• Identify focus for practicum project (P)*

*The Assignments related to these Learning Objectives are introduced this week and submitted in Week 3.

Discussion: Current Issues in Public Health

“In the first three decades of life, more individuals in the United States die from injuries and violence than from any other cause. Millions more people survive and are left with physical, emotional, and financial problems. Injuries and violence are not accidents; they are preventable.”

The Injury Free Coalition for Kids project works to reduce childhood injury in Central and South neighborhoods in the city of Seattle. Data indicates these neighborhoods need specific attention. Leaders of this project were likely to consider factors that influence the possibility of injury in these communities, the role of the individual, physical, and social environment in both contributing to and preventing injury; and what may have been done in the past that was either effective or ineffective to shape new ideas towards a solution.

Adaptive leadership is the practice of mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive. This involves thinking about issues from a new perspective, and identifying innovative solutions to tackle these challenges, it also involves identifying new partnerships that can be formed to create these innovative solutions.

For this Discussion, you will focus on a current issue of personal interest that a public health nurse leader might encounter. You will consider various facets of the issue from an adaptive leadership perspective.

Reference:

Haegerich, T. M., Dahlberg, L. L., Simon, T. R., Baldwin, G. T., Sleet, D. A., & Greenspan, A. I. (2014). Prevention of injury and violence in the USA. Lancet. 384(9937), 64–74. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60074-X

Injury Free Coalition for Kids Seattle. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018, from https://www.injuryfree.org/site_display.cfm?PermanentId=DBA4E3A4-F736-4C88-B29BFB00F9C33AA0

To prepare:

• Review this week’s Resources.
• Consider the changing social context at which you are or will be leading.
• Identify a specific health issue of interest that could present challenges for public health nurse leaders.
• Reflect on your identified health issue using the adaptive leadership framework presented in this week’s media.

By Day 3

Post a response to the following questions:

Considering the public health issue you have identified:

• Which social determinants of health are influencing the health issue?
• What innovative solutions to this issue might you propose?
• Identify potential partners (stakeholders) who should join you, as a public health nurse leader, in your efforts to address this health issue?

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues by suggesting additional ideas or innovative solutions for their health issue and/or additional partners (stakeholders) they should engage to support their efforts. NURS 6730 Week 2: Public Health Leadership in a Changing Society