Population Health Nurse
1) Identify and elaborate on at least two (2) historical figues that became important to the development of Public Health Nursing and explain why.
2) Relate the epidemiologicical processes to the current COVID-19 pandemic
3) Identify a negative environmental influence health story, (ex. the water supply in Flint, Michigan ONLY- use a different enviromental influence). Explain how individuals, families, and/ or communities have been affected? Now discuss measures needed to foster a health promoting environment.V
Sample Solution
Public health nursing is an important field of nursing that works to promote the health and safety of individuals, families, and communities. Over the years, several key figures have contributed to the development of this field. Two such individuals are Lillian Wald and Mary Breckinridge.
Lillian Wald was a nurse in New York City who is credited with founding public health nursing after she created the Henry Street Settlement House in 1893 (Moye & Estes 2018). This settlement house served as a safe space for low-income immigrants while providing them with access to healthcare services, education programs, and more. In addition to being known as “the mother of public health nursing”, she also helped create The National Organization for Public Health Nursing which later became the American Public Health Association (APHA).
Another historical figure who made great contributions to public health nursing is Mary Breckinridge. She was a registered nurse who developed the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) in 1925 in response to rural Appalachia’s lack of access to medical care (Garretson & Naylor 2021). FNS provided family planning services as well as prenatal care through home visits by nurses riding horseback or driving cars into remote areas. It has since become one of America’s largest home visiting programs and continues to serve many underprivileged communities today.
Both Lillian Wald and Mary Breckinridge had incredible impact on public health nursing by introducing innovative approaches which increased access to care for underserved populations throughout their respective regions. Through their dedication and perseverance they were able forge paths that would lay down foundations for generations of future nurses dedicated towards protecting human rights while promoting healthier lives.
