Summary

Health and wellness are vital components of overall well-being. Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Wellness is the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. Human dimensions of health include five aspects, encompassing physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual health. Wellness includes eight mutually codependent dimensions: physical, emotional, social, occupational, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, and financial wellness. The most used model for wellness is Dunn’s Theory of Wellness, including four processes: being, belonging, becoming, and befitting. The Healthy People 2030 initiative is a nationwide endeavor in the United States that aims to improve public health and prevent diseases by setting core, developmental, and research objectives concerning different health areas. The SDOH, including economic stability, healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context, are significant factors that influence health outcomes and inequalities. By analyzing these determinants, the root causes of health disparities can be identified, and policies can be formulated to promote health equity. To achieve optimal health outcomes for individuals and communities, it is crucial to comprehend the interdependence of health, wellness, and community-based health care. The Healthy People 2030 initiative highlights the most critical needs of the nation and outlines concrete objectives on how to achieve health goals.

Models of health are conceptual frameworks that guide healthcare providers to understand and promote health. Various nursing models used in patient care include the HBM, HPM, Holistic Health Model, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model. These models assist in assessing patient needs, developing care plans, and evaluating patient outcomes. These models guide nursing practices that emphasize providing comprehensive care to patients. Medical models used by nurses when providing patient care include the religious model, humanistic model, and transpersonal model. These models provide approaches to understanding and treating illness. Models for health and illness, such as the biomedical model, psychosomatic model, and existential model, explain the factors that influence health behaviors and can guide interventions to improve health outcomes. Models help healthcare providers understand and explain the complex interactions between the biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors that contribute to a person’s health status. Understanding these various models can help nurses provide holistic care to patients, addressing the physical, psychological, and social aspects of health.

Global strategies for health promotion include implementing policies and programs that promote healthy lifestyles, creating supportive environments for healthy behaviors, strengthening community action for health, and developing personal skills for health. These strategies involve effective governance for health, improving health literacy, and building or creating healthy cities, which improve health and prevent illness at the population level. The levels of prevention include primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention aims to prevent the onset of disease through interventions that target risk factors and promote healthy behaviors. Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and treatment of disease to prevent complications and further progression. Tertiary prevention aims to reduce the impact of disease and disability through rehabilitation and management. The application of these strategies and levels of prevention to patient care involves identifying individual risk factors and addressing them through targeted interventions. This may include lifestyle modifications, such as increasing physical activity and improving diet, as well as screening for early signs of disease and medication management. Factors influencing a patient’s risk of illness include inherent factors, lifestyle factors, and environmental factors. Understanding these factors can help healthcare providers develop personalized prevention and treatment plans for each patient. The impact illness has on health promotion can vary depending on the stage and severity of the disease. Illness can have a negative impact on a patient’s emotion and behaviors, lead to further body image and self-concept problems, and add stress and strain to the family members. However, effective management and treatment of illness can be a key component of health promotion, improving overall health and preventing further complications.

Nurses play a crucial role in community-based health care as educator, caregiver, change agent, collaborator, counselor, and patient advocate. They must have a variety of competencies to provide high-quality care, including promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing disease and health problems, educating the community, and evaluating the community. Nurses also work with diverse populations, including at-risk populations such as patients with disabilities, pediatric patients, older adults, individuals from underrepresented groups, people who are under- or uninsured, and patients with low socioeconomic status. Nurses in community-based healthcare settings are essential in improving health outcomes and addressing health disparities among at-risk populations.

Community-based health initiatives are essential for improving the health and well-being of communities, and their implementation requires adherence to guidelines that include community involvement, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability planning. Successful community-based programs are characterized by quality, respect, and empowerment, with a focus on addressing the specific health needs and priorities of the community. Conducting a CHNA is a critical step in identifying these health issues and informing the development of relevant initiatives. Tools such as evidence-based tools, the CDC CHSI, and the VPF can be used to assess community health needs. Nurses play a vital role in educating the community about health care and promoting healthy behaviors as well as managing resources and advocating for the implementation of evidence-based practices that address the identified health needs. To effectively plan education for community-based health initiatives, nurses must prioritize identified problems, set goals and objectives, develop strategies, implement interventions, and evaluate outcomes. By following these guidelines and steps, nurses can ensure that their education efforts are relevant, accessible, and meaningful to the community they serve.

Population health is divided into four divisions, including population involvement, improved health outcomes, patterns of health determinants, and policy revision. The goals of population health management include improving clinical care outcomes, integrating care across the delivery system, and addressing chronic and complex issues. Nurses play an essential role in population health management, taking on different roles such as a primary care partner, care coordinator, community-based facilitator, and informatics specialist. These roles involve working with patients, families, healthcare providers, and community organizations to improve health outcomes and address the SDOH. Nurses can use their skills and knowledge to promote health equity, facilitate access to care, and provide support for populations to manage chronic and complex health issues.