Summary of Teaching Plan
Secondary Prevention/Screenings for a Vulnerable Population
Teaching Plan:
Epidemiology of lead poisoning
CDC indicates that the level of lead in children below three years declined to 0.56 % during 2013. CDC approximates that there are still children aged 1-5 residing within United States at risk of exposure to increasing level of lead in their blood. Over 500000 US children between 1-5 years have lead levels above 5µg/dl. Minority populations re the worst affected by exposure to lead poisoning including non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans who have higher percentage of lead that their white counterparts.
Nursing Diagnosis: Knowledge Deficit
Willingness to learn: Factors that indicate willingness to learn for the target audience
Initially, there was apprehension from the participants on the implications of the lessons to their well-being. However, the eagerness and questions asked proved that in the end, the target was keen actively participating in the program.
Form of learning theory to be used in the program
Cognitive theory will be utilized with use of pamphlets to determine the perceptions and information processing capability of the participants. To determine cognitive capability of the participants, questions will be asked to identify the level of education and ability of the participant to express themselves logically through reading passages.
Goal: The HP 2020 goal is to promote educational and community based programs with the aim of reducing exposure to lead among young children.
Objective: To educate mothers in Los Angeles County who represent a significant majority of low income on what to look for and how to protect their children from the exposure to lead.
HP 2020 contribution to improving global health
Educational and community based programs are key to making societies aware of the measures they could take to prevent incidences of factors such as lead poisoning. Educational and community based programs are therefore key to ensuring that everyone play their role in promoting a healthier society.
Behavioral Objectives (Domains, Content, and Strategies)
Reliance on creative aspects in the teaching process:
The pamphlets had various interesting pictures meant to keep the audience active in the discussions of the day. Participants also made oral presentations as a way of boosting their confidence in asking questions and making suggestions.
Techniques for measurement of each objective
Audience to name three (3) object you can find lead.
Participants asked to name 4 symptoms of lead poisoning
Participants required to identify treatment options for lead poisoning
Participants asked to identify barriers to detection of lead poisoning
Evaluation of effectiveness of teaching plan:
Evaluation through relevant responses from the audience
Evaluation of the teaching process
Evaluation through number of relevant questions asked, number of participants available at the end of the session and the level of active participation from the target audience.
Barriers:
Barriers include reluctance from the participants to learn and interact through questions. Such barriers will be eliminated through promoting an interactive session and use of case studies to capture the attention of audience.
Presentation techniques during the presentation
The first step will be to acknowledge the presence of participants with a smile as way of creating a relaxed atmosphere. The presentation will be ended by appreciating the participants for their time and acknowledging them as key champions in improving health in the community. Non-verbal techniques to be used in the presentation include; eye contact, gestures and tones to create an attractive atmosphere for everyone and encourage participants to contribute effectively in the process.
Epidemiological rationale for topic
CDC indicates that the level of lead in children below three years declined to 0.56 % during 2013. CDC approximates that there are still children aged 1-5 residing within United States at risk of exposure to increasing level of lead in their blood. Over 500000 US children between 1-5 years have lead levels above 5µg/dl. Minority populations re the worst affected by exposure to lead poisoning including non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans who have higher percentage of lead that their white counterparts. The fact that children have limited intelligence on lead poisoning and that lead poisoning cannot be seen with the naked eye have been the factors contributing to more lead poisoning among children. Lead in the interior dust at homes and old residential paints are among the leading sources that expose children to poisoning. However, the sources of lead poisoning has since changed with increasing concern on toys, candies and water fountains in schools causing concern in the United States. The fact that children below the age of five are often at risk of putting things in their mouths that older children contribute to more exposure to lead poisoning. The health impact of lead poisoning depends on the dosage accumulated for a period of time such that the amount of lead in the blood increases. The fact that minority communities live in substandard housing and polluted conditions increases their exposure to the risk of lead poisoning. Their exposure to such risk is worsened by the fact that minority communities have limited capacity to take insurance covers and access quality health care and they have to cope with barriers to screening and managing lead poisoning. The fact that most of the minority communities are uninsured makes them unable to access routine care and are therefore frustrated by the idea of seeking treatment for their health problems. The factors that could lead to reduced lead poisoning and save the minority communities from the adverse effects include bans by the government on lead in gasoline, food cans, paints and consumer products available at the community level.
Community response to teaching
Lead poisoning education programs are key to improving awareness at the community level and help individuals identify potential sources of poisoning. The community reacted well to teaching programs since they realize the fact that the future generations is at risk if measures are not taken presently to reduce the lead poisoning rates to the lowest levels possible. Because of the interventions, majority of the community members show willingness and commitment to take advantage of routine screening exercises and disseminate information learnt to others across the community. The need for community members to pass across the message learnt is generated by the fact that prevention measures need to take a collective approach such that everyone has to be aware of the causes, effects, symptoms and ways through which treatment could be achieved for lead poisoning victims. Since community members are concerned on the need to reduce lead poisoning incidences, everyone takes the initiative to eliminate environmental sources that expose children to the dangers. The reception of the community to teachings on lead poisoning is therefore important in efforts to reduce incidences to the lowest levels possible.
Evaluation of teaching experience
The input from community members is key to improving the outcome of teaching. The experience provides the foundations to observe the behaviors of community members and identify the motivation the community has towards enhancing lead poisoning free society. The teaching experience therefore provided key insight on incorporating the community’s observation and feedback into the teaching program. The response and suggestions from the community members were instrumental in diagnosing the obstacles that prevent majority from failing to notice symptoms of lead poisoning in their children. With the lessons provided, the community members were able to identify potential sources of lead poisoning at the community level and hence establish ways through which actions could be taken to remove such sources. From the teaching, factors such as socio-economic aspects also came out as among the factors that contribute to cases of lead poisoning. This implies that from the interaction, the feedback from community members proved that the income levels also had an effect on education and health outcomes of the community members. From the teaching, that fact that minority communities are uninsured and that they lack the incentives for routine health checkups was evident thereby adding to the feedback gathered from the participants. The large number of participants who turned up for the event in spite of limited incentives were key to making the teaching a success hence contributed largely to the realization that the program proved to be useful in the community. Participants were keen to ask questions regarding lead poisoning and ways through which measures could be taken to caution children from exposing themselves to potential sources.
Areas of strengths and areas of improvement
The strength of the teaching is that members from different minority communities availed themselves for the lessons. As a result, the community members seemed to be well aware of the need to have control, of their health status by paying attention to the information disseminated. With the teaching provided, the need to prevent incidences of lead poisoning therefore proved to be part of the neighborhood with participants appreciating the fact that they have to join hands in disseminating and adopting the message learnt as well as look for ways through which the lessons could be used even by the future generations. Areas of improvement include the need to look for ways through which men could be motivated to participate in such forums. This is because a significant majority of the participants were women. The fact that the forum addressed those with children below the age of five limited attendance hence in future, it is imperative that everyone be included in the program regardless of whether they are parents or not. This is because awareness needs to be targeted to the whole community including parents with children and those without children.
References
Cole, R., & Vij, V. (2014). Impact of Lead Poisoning on Minority and Low-Income Communities in Toledo, Ohio. Toledo: Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.
DiNapoli, T. (2007). Childhood Lead Poisoning. New York: Office of Budget and Policy Analysis.
Tong, S., Schirnding, Y., & Prapamontol, T. (2000). Environmental lead exposure: a public health problem of global dimensions. New York: World Health Organization.
