Nursing

The Illness Experience The experience of an illness is determined by what illness means to the sick person. Furthermore, illness refers to a specific status and role within a given society. Not only must illness be sanctioned by a physician for the sick per- son to assume the sick role, but it also must be […]

The Sick Role The seminal work of Talcott Parsons (1966) helps explain the phenomenon of “the sick role.” In our society, a person is expected to have the symptoms viewed as illness confirmed by a member of the health care profession. In other words, the sick role must first be legitimately conferred on this person

Another factor emerges as the word illness is stripped down to its barest essentials. Many of the characteristics attributed to health occur in illness, too. You may receive a rude awakening when you realize that a person perceived as healthy by clinical assessment may then—by a given set of symptoms— define him- or herself as

The health belief model from the patient’s point of view. Health and Illness ■ 73 Perceived Susceptibility. How susceptible to a certain condition do people consider themselves to be? For example, a woman whose family does not have a history of breast cancer is unlikely to consider herself susceptible to that disease. A woman whose

The Health Belief Model The Health Belief Model (Figures 4–5A and 4–5B) is useful for transitioning from a discussion of health to that of illness. It illustrates the patient’s per- ceptions of health and illness and can be modified to reflect the viewpoint of health care providers. When implemented from the provider’s viewpoint, the material

Health disparities are defined in Healthy People 2020 as a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, eco- nomic, and/or environmental disadvantage. They adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive,

long healthy lives? Healthy People 2020 is now exploring these questions by 1. developing objectives that address the relationship between health status and biology, individual behavior, health services, social factors, and policies and 2. emphasizing an ecological approach to disease prevention and health promotion. The authors of Healthy People now view the determinants of health

Healthy People 2020 In 1979, the Surgeon General’s Report, Healthy People: The Surgeon General’s Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention was published. This semi- nal report was followed by Healthy People 1990: Promoting Health/Preventing Disease: Objectives for the Nation—a series of concrete objectives for addressing national public health issues. A decade later, this document

Health Maintenance and Protection Health can be seen from many other viewpoints, and many areas of dis- agreement arise with respect to how health can be defined. The preparation of health care providers tends to organize their education from a perspective 68 ■ Chapter 4 of illness. Rarely (or superficially) does it include an in-depth

Junior Students (Age 18–19) ■ A system involving all subsystems of one’s body that constantly works on keeping one in good physical and mental condition Senior Students (Age 20–21) ■ Ability to function in activities of daily living to optimal capacity without requiring medical attention ■ Mental and physical wellness ■ The state of physical,