QUESTION
NRS 434NV Essay on Human Experience Across the Health-Illness Continuum
ANSWER
The health-illness continuum and its application in healthcare
The health-illness continuum is a diagram that depicts the ever-changing process of wellness, good health, everyday health, illness, and death. This applies to everyone because it depicts the changes that an individual undergoes while adapting to various life changes and challenges in order to maintain good health. The model’s status can change depending on an individual’s current state of health and wellness. This model is relevant to healthcare because it depicts a person’s current state of health (Brooksidepress.org, 2015) NRS 434NV Essay on Human Experience Across the Health-Illness Continuum.
It is also important to note that having a positive attitude significantly impacts the patient’s health and the incredible human experience shared while caring for them. Empathy and understanding are also beneficial in establishing rapport with patients. The health-illness continuum refers to physical health and an overall view of a person, including emotional and psychological health. This is why having the proper perspective is critical regardless of age. A person’s perspective is compelling because it can move them along the health-illness continuum.
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For example, a person diagnosed with an autoimmune condition can have either a positive or negative outlook. If she chooses to sulk and complain about the condition, his/her position on the spectrum will not improve. It may even worsen when he/she views the condition as a positive thing over which he/she has control, such as choosing what healthy foods to eat and what exercise to do.
Understanding the health-illness continuum and the impact of perspective on people’s health has made me realize that nurses’ relationship with their patients has tremendous potential. It is also a wake-up call for nurses and healthcare workers to be more mindful of their words and actions toward patients. Healthcare workers can promote and uphold each patient’s dignity by influencing patients’ perspectives and turning them into positive ones that will allow them to become healthy.
Consideration of one’s overall health
If I had to choose a position on the health-illness spectrum, I would choose the middle, precisely the one labeled “normal health.” I have no severe illnesses and consider myself healthy, but I am aware of unhealthy habits that are detrimental to my health. Another factor that influenced my decision to include “normal” is that I am aware that there are times when I tend to overthink and be negative, but this is something that I am constantly working on to better myself and how I care for my patients, as well as the people around me.
Building habits is an essential aspect of consciously caring for your body, and one of the first steps is determining which good behaviors to start or continue doing and which to stop. Not getting enough sleep or sleeping late, not exercising or moving around as much, and frequent snacking on junk foods are behaviors that detract from my wellness. For excellent and positive behaviors, I try to drink 2 liters of water daily, keep a mental health diary/journal, and always wear sunscreen. These are minor changes, but they contribute to the development of healthy habits in my life, one small aspect at a time.
Wellness options and resources
After identifying positive and negative behavior, knowing where you want to go on the health-illness continuum is critical. From normal health, I want to work on high-level wellness, which will require commitment and dedication, but it will be well worth the effort. To take a step toward wellness, I should plan how I will effectively fix my sleeping schedule, exercise routine, and meal planning, and then stick to the plan.
As a healthcare worker, I believe that investing in yourself is beneficial in the field. This is an excellent opportunity for patients to converse and connect in a professional but more profound setting. This helps to better oneself while improving one’s ability to work as part of a healthcare team. The technical aspects and skills required to work in healthcare are and will always be necessary. Another important consideration is the heartfelt impact that healthcare workers can have on various people.
I have a wealth of resources at my disposal, as well as those around me. I should take advantage of these opportunities to learn and grow into a healthier version of myself without relying on too many elaborate and heavy products. Continuous changes are unavoidable in life, and linear movement is unlikely, but living a healthy life entails making good choices and enjoying the journey.
References:
Brooksidepress.org,(2015).brooksidepress.org/nursing fundamentals 1/?page id=115&cn-reloaded=1.