Excessive alcohol use ranks the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Alcohol abuse acts as a primary risk factor for numerous society and health problems. The federal, state and local governments collaborate to minimize the problem by recommending task force recommendations describing interventions directed to the general population aimed at coping with the problem of excess alcohol use. Community health nurses have a big role to play in promoting the health of every person in the community by discouraging behaviors that are a risk to the public health (Nies and McEwen, 2015).
Limiting the days and number of hours when alcohol could be sold acts as one of the most effective evidence-based interventions recommended addressing the problem of violence and excess alcohol use. The intervention aims at limiting the number of days, hours, and places of sale of the alcohol. The government may come up with a policy that allows alcohol to be sold on specific days of the week and during specific hours. Most alcohol-related violence and deaths occur during the weekends, from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. The intervention focuses on limiting the number of hours that bars and other alcohol-selling points stay open. According to the Community Preventive Task Force (2014), a study conducted in Norway revealed a decline in alcohol consumption and reduced cases of domestic violence when all liquor stores closed on Saturdays.
Roles of the community health nurse in implementing the intervention involves community organizing, health education, advocacy, and holding social forums. The community health nurse works with different agencies and community members to promote campaigns against excessive alcohol use. The presence of unique skills, knowledge, and competencies gives the nurse an opportunity to bring people together and help them understand the importance of promoting quality health in the society by avoiding risky behaviors like excessive drinking. Community forums assist in educating the community on the importance of limiting the number of drinking hours per day and assist the community in taking the intervention as a solution to the excessive alcohol use. The intervention is considered primary because it focuses on the main factors influencing excessive alcohol use such as drinking until late hours and days that increases risks of accidents related to drinking that cause death such as weekends.
Community health nurses play a big role in enabling the community preparedness for disasters and communicable disease outbreaks. People in the community need adequate skills and training on how to stay safe and understand things to do before, during, and after the disaster. It is important for the community health nurse to stress on elements that promote the safety of every individual in the community, and even their properties. The three main elements that the community health nurse must ensure the community understands are preparedness, planning, and staying informed (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014).
The level of community’s preparedness for a potential outbreak or a disaster depends on the available resources. Community health nurses in the community work hard to ensure the community acquires all the necessary resources for promoting good health habits as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements. Before the disaster takes place, the community health nurse ensures all necessary materials like food supplies, water, drugs, and other necessities are made available to the community. Additionally, the nurse must possess health records of every member of the community for easier intervention in case the disaster strikes. Second, the nurse takes the community members through what to do and not to do during the pandemic. For example, members are cautioned against making close contacts with affected people, staying at homes, avoiding crowded places, and maintaining good hygiene in the case of an influenza pandemic (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014). The community’s adherence to recommendations from the community health nurse determines the level of preparedness from the disaster.
References
Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2014, January 30). Preventing Excessive Alcohol
Consumption: Maintaining Limits on Days of Sale. The Guide to Community Preventive Services. Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://www.thecommunityguide.org/alcohol/limitingsale.html
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2014). Pandemic. Retrieved March 31, 2016 from
https://www.ready.gov/pandemic
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2014). Ready: Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.
Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://www.ready.gov/
Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of
populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.
