Running head: PERSONAL HEALTH PLAN 1

My Health Plan and Assessment Plan

William G. Russell
Ferris State University





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Abstract
The author of the following Personal Health Plan will attempt to describe the ways in which
he will lose approximately 20 pounds and maintain the loss for an extended period of time. The
author will employ several different tools to ensure the weight loss and to keep the weight from
returning. Included in this plan will be an explanation of an exercise plan, a description of a
nutritional supplement component and spiritually based positive thinking model. The plan will
also include a basis in the Transtheoretical Model.

Keywords: supplement, spiritual, positive thinking, weight loss, maintain.














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My Health Plan and Assessment Plan
The reason for this paper is two-fold. One is this is a requirement of the Nursing 310 class at
Ferris State University. Two, is to make sure to write a plan that not only satisfies the
requirements of the course, but actually is effective in my goal of losing twenty pounds. Im also
hoping that this plan helps me keep the weight off. I will employ several different tools in the
plan and they will be highlighted in the paper. One of the most important aspects of this plan is
using the Transtheoretical model. Pender, Murdaugh, and Parsons Write that health-related
changes happen through steps and phases in a relatively prescribed manner.
In designing this paper the author collected information from several sources. First on the list of
tools is the Health Beliefs Survey (Appendix A). This very thought provoking questionnaire was
interesting to complete. It was difficult for the author to not read in to the question. Several of
the questions could have been taken in several different ways. The author was not terribly
surprised by the results of the questionnaire. The author has very strong beliefs in keeping
himself healthy. He relies on his own decisions and actions to keep him in a state of health. The
author was brought up to believe seeking care for health related issuers was a last resort. The
authors Mother is 88 years old and very healthy. The last time the authors Mother was
hospitalized was with the birth of the author, which was in 1960. The authors Father had many
medical issues. The Father of the author illnesses was not out of the ordinary, gallbladder, kidney
stones, diverticulitis, and other very common and not self-induced types of illnesses. When
considering his parents while completing the Health Beliefs Survey, The author took his parents
in mind. Why did his Father have typical states of disease, while his mother has had none? Was
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it personal conviction? How could it be? Granted, gallbladder disease can have a dietary
component, however the authors parents ate about the same meals together for 50 years of
marriage. Does the authors Mother possess some kind of power that wards off disease? How
could that be possible? The authors Mother has always been very physical active. Her exercise
plan has always included swimming and walking. The author would argue that her plan was not
excessive; however, it has been a lifelong effort. The most powerful input to self-efficacy is
successful performance of a behavior (Pender, Murdaugh, &Parsons, p. 54). The authors
Mother has been extremely healthy her entire life. Her attention to proper nutrition and exercise
has been a constant through her life as well. It is important to mention that the authors mothers
plan is not extreme. The author and his Mother would probably call it sensible. All of the above
makes the author wonder about the power every human possess to make behavior changes and to
foster a lifestyle of health for him or herself. Based on the results of the Health Beliefs Survey,
the author has designed a plan harness his own power to make some changes in lifestyle to reach
the twenty pound weight loss goal.

INTRUMENT SELECTION
The first toll the author selected was the Body By Vi Challenge by the Visalus Company .
This plan includes meal replacement shakes and website to track progress of inches and pounds
lost with the help of the program to be used to compare the participant with other participants
from around the world. The participant has a shake for breakfast and lunch and a sensible
dinner. Snacks are also allowed during the day. The author is also using Rosenberg Self-Esteem
Scale (Appendix B) in his plan to lose weight and maintain weight loss. The author believes the
better persons feel about themselves; the better able they are to make positive choices for
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themselves. This tool reminds the author is how much his attitude can influence his choices.
Referring to the scale on a regular basis helps him make the right decisions. The scale reminds
him that his Health Promotion Plan is for himself. The author knows he wants to lose twenty
pounds for his own vanity. He also knows the health benefits that will come along with weight
loss as well. Mostly, the author is interested in keeping his 53 year-old frame in good condition
for purely cosmetic reasons. The validity of the authors tools has been working for him. At the
writing of this paper, the author has lost ten of the thirty pounds he set out to lose since Memorial
Day. For this paper, the author chose to focus on the reaming twenty pounds.
Transtheoretical Model
The Transtheoretical Model (TM) was also studied and used in the authors plan to achieve
successful health-related behavior changes. Many intervention studies have been conducted
using the transtheoretical model. The largest number has focused on smoking, followed by
physical activity (Pender, Murdaugh, & Parsons. p. 53). In reviewing the Model the author found
the five stages to be very interesting. The five stages are: Precontemplation, Contemplation,
Planning or Preparation, Action and Maintenance. It occurs to the author he has spent much of
his life in the contemplation stage. Contemplation: an individual is seriously thinking about
quitting or adopting a particular behavior in the next six months. (intends to change. (Pender,
Murdaugh & Pender. P. 51) The author has successfully moved himself in to the action stage of
TM. Action: The individual has made the behavior change and it has persisted for less than six
months. (Pender, Murdaugh & Parsons) P. 51). The author is pleased with his progress and is
looking forward to the Maintenance Stage of TM.

Nursing Diagnosis (Wellness)
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The author believes the best Nursing Wellness Diagnosis for him is Readiness for Advanced
Hope as evidenced by the authors willingness to change his lifestyle to include better emotional
health and weight loss. The author believes this is the best Nursing Diagnosis because of his
stage in the TM Model. He is already using the tools mentioned in this paper and is pleased with
his progress to date. He is also realizing that his emotional health and attitude toward his health
is reinforcing the weight loss program he is employing.
Personal Goals
The nutritional program the author is using estimates 2-3 pounds a week of weight loss.
Moderate exercise is also included in the plan. The author walks to and from work each day with
a round trip of about 3 miles. The authors goal is to review Rosenbergs Self-Esteem Scale on a
daily basis to remind him of the power of his own attitude. The author harkens back to his
description of his Mothers attitude on health and knows that attitude plays a huge role in what
people think they can or cannot do. The author is looking forward the Maintenance Stage of TM
in both weight loss and attitude.
Conclusion
The author has known since soon after birth that all of his decisions were his own. The author
was told by his Mother, and still is told, We all make choices, dear. The choice of taking care
of oneself is up to that individual. The author realizes that some illness is are beyond the control
of individuals, but how individuals think and act regarding a disease can have great bearing on
the course of a health issue. The author is rather pleased with this assignment for Nursing 310 at
Ferris State University in that it made him actually write down a plan for emotional and physical
health. The author plans is to review Rosenbergs Self-esteem Scale on a daily basis, stay on the
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nutritional supplement, continue to document pounds lost and remember that all persons do have
the power to maintain good health and enjoy life.





















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References
Pender, N.J., Murdaugh, C.L., Parsons, M.A., (2006) Health promotion in nursing practice (6
th

ed.) Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice
Rosenberg (1979). Conceiving the self. New York, N.Y. Basic Books
Russell, Charlotte, Authors Mother
Ursuy, P. (2013). NURS 310 Class Syllabus
WWW.ViSalus.com
















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Appendix A
Health Beliefs Survey
The questionnaire is designed to determine the way in which different people
view certain important health-related issues. Each item is a belief statement, with which
you may agree or disagree. Beside each statement is a scale that ranges from strongly
disagree (1) to strongly agree (6). For each item, choose the number that represents the
extent to which you disagree or agree. This is a measure of your personal beliefs;
obviously, there are no right or wrong answers.
Please answer these items carefully, but do not spend too much time on any one
item. As much as you can, try to respond to each item independently. When making
your choice, do not be influenced by your previous choices. It is important that you
respond according to your actual beliefs and not according to how you feel you should
believe or how you think we want you to believe.
1 - Strongly Disagree; 2 - Moderately Disagree; 3 - Slightly Disagree; 4 - Slightly
Agree; 5 - Moderately Agree; 6 - Strongly Agree
1

2

3 4

5 6
1. If I get sick, it is my own behavior that determines how
soon I will get well again.

X

2. No matter what I do, if I am going to get sick, I'll get
sick.

X

3. Having regular contact with my physician is the best
way for me avoid illness.

X

4. Most things that affect my health happen to me by
accident.
X
5. Whenever I don't feel well, I should consult a
medically trained professional.

X

6. I am in control of my health.
X
7. My family has a lot to do with my becoming sick or
staying healthy.

X

8. When I get sick, I am to blame.
X

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9. Luck plays a big part in determining how soon I will
recover from an illness.

X

10. Health professionals control my health.
X

11. My good health is largely a matter of good fortune.
X

12. The main thing that affects my health is what I myself
do.
x
X
13. If I take care of myself, I can avoid illness.

x
X
14. When I recover from illness, it's usually because other
people have been taking good care of me. (doctor,
nurses, family)
x
X

15. No matter what I do, I'm likely to get sick. x
X

16. If it's meant to be, I will stay healthy. x
X

17. If I take the right actions, I can stay healthy. x
X
18. Regarding my health, I can only do what my doctor
tells me to do.
X
x

These three subscales, and the items included in each, are as follows:
Internal Items: 1, 6, 8, 12, 13, 17
Chance Items: 2, 4, 9, 11, 15, 16
Powerful-others items: 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 18
The score on each subscale is the sum of the values for each item in that
subscale multiplied by 2. Scores within each subscale can range from 12 to 72. The
higher the score on the internal subscale, the more personal control clients believe that
they exercise over their own health. The higher the scores on the chance subscale and
power-others subscale, the higher the beliefs in the importance of chance and others
respectively in controlling personal health. Normative means for adults on each
subscale are as follows:

Internal, 50.4
Chance, 31.0
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Powerful-others, 40.9




















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Appendix B

Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale

Directions: The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a 10-item Guttman
scale with a Coefficient of Reproducibility of 92% and a Coefficient of Scalability of 72%.
Respondents are asked to strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the
following items.

1. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.

S
A
A D
*
SD
*
2. At times, I think I am no good at all.

S
A*
A
*
D SD
3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.

S
A
A D
*
SD
*
4. I am able to do things as well as most other
people.

S
A
A D
*
SD
*
5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of.

S
A*
A
*
D SD
6. I certainly feel useless at times.

S
A*
A
*
D SD
7. I feel I am a person of worth, at least on an
equal plane with others.

S
A
A D
*
SD
*
8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.

S
A*
A
*
D SD
9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a
failure.

S
A*
A
*
D SD
10. I take a positive attitude toward myself.

S
A
A D
*
SD
*

*Represents low self-esteem responses.
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(Source: Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the Self. New York, New York. Basic
Books, p. 291)



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