INTRODUCTION TO POPULATION HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Epidemiology & Population Hlth

MODULE 1: AT A GLANCE

INTRODUCTION TO POPULATION HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

Interventions at the population level have the potential to improve overall health across communities.

—Curley, 2020, p. 1

Population health is one of the 10 areas of core competence for nurses as defined by AACN’s The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. The goal of population health, as defined by AACN (2021), is “health equity and improved health for all.” Nurses play important roles in advocating for equity, developing collaborative and evidence-based approaches to care, and responding to emergencies and disasters. One important tool that can be leveraged in promoting population health is epidemiological research. In this first module, you explore the connection between population health and epidemiology, beginning with the evolution of the field as well as foundational basics of epidemiology.

REFERENCE:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS MODULE?

This course is composed of five separate modules covering 11 weeks of content. Each module consists of an overarching topic, and each week within the module includes specific subtopics for learning. As you work through each module, you will have an opportunity to draw upon the knowledge you gain in the assessments and components of learning throughout each of the modules.

In Module 1: Introduction to Population Health and Epidemiology, comprising the first 2 weeks of the course, you will explore the role of epidemiology in population-based nursing practice, as well as descriptive epidemiology and data sources for population health. In Week 1, you will explore how the concepts of population health and epidemiology have evolved and the role advanced nurses play in promoting population health. In Week 2, you will explore descriptive epidemiologic concepts of person, place, and time; and how to collect data and analyze secondary data sources to explore an epidemiologic association.

INTRODUCTION

Reflect on your nursing practice for a moment. If you could wipe out one illness, what would it be? How would wiping out one illness impact not just an individual patient but your entire patient population? What would be the long-term benefits of eliminating that one illness?

This first week of the course introduces you to the principles of epidemiology, as well as how epidemiology is used to study and address population health problems. These are important concepts for all nurses engaged in advanced practice.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

· Differentiate between individual and population-based healthcare

· Analyze the scope and role of epidemiology in promoting the health of populations

· Analyze the role that advanced practice nurses play in promoting population health 

DISCUSSION

This is a graded discussion: 100 points possible

due Feb 26 at 10:59pm

Week 1: Blog

POPULATION HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY THEN AND NOW

A century ago, epidemiology was a population science that focused on infectious diseases and outbreaks. Pioneered by passionate researchers like John Snow and Florence Nightingale, epidemiologic methods were used to curb the spread of debilitating diseases like cholera and the Spanish Flu. Today epidemiology relates to more than just acute outbreaks of illness; it addresses many chronic population health problems that nurses and other healthcare professionals deal with every day, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. 

For this assignment, you explore the development and evolution of epidemiology and population health, as well as nurses’ roles in advancing care at the population level.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

Required Readings

· Curley, A. L. C. (Ed.). (2020).  Population-based nursing: Concepts and competencies for advanced practice (3rd ed.). Springer.

· Chapter 1, “Introduction to Population-Based Nursing”

· Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2021).  Epidemiology for public health practice (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.

· Chapter 1, “History and Scope of Epidemiology”

· Chapter 2, “Practical Applications of Epidemiology” 

· Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021).  Morbidity and mortality weekly report (MMRW). Links to an external site.  https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index.html

· Gallagher, A. (2020).  Learning from Florence Nightingale: A slow ethics approach to nursing during the pandemicLinks to an external site. .  Nursing Inquiry, 27, e12369. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12369

· Michals, D. (Ed.). (2015).  Clara Barton Links to an external site. . National Women’s History Museum. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/clara-barton

· National Women’s Hall of Fame. (n.d.).  Mary Breckinridge Links to an external site. . https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/mary-breckinridge/

· Rothberg, E. (2020).  Lillian Wald Links to an external site. . National Women’s History Museum.  https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/lillian-waldLinks to an external site.

TO PREPARE:

· Explore important developments in the history of epidemiology and population health. Consider how current practices differ from those at the genesis of the field.

· Reflect on the role of nurses in promoting population health in the light of the Learning Resources you reviewed this week. 

Post a 300- to 400-word blog post addressing the following:

· How has the practice and scope of population health changed? Include in your explanation the role of epidemiology in promoting the health of populations.

· What role did nurses play at the advent of these concepts in the 1800s and early 1900s? Be sure to differentiate between individual and population-based care.

· How can nurses play an effective role in advancing population health today? Discuss two ways you can make a difference at the population level.

Assignment Rubric Details Close

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