Running head: Population Based Issues

Danielle Bular
Ferris State University
Population Based Issues-Nursing 340

Population Based Issues

Abstract
This paper will talk about different nursing leadership roles in cancer care ranging
from a home healthcare nurse providing care to a palliative cancer patients to a nurse being
the leader of prevention classes at a free clinic. The requirements and characteristics of these
positions will be explained and reflected upon.

Population Based Issues

Introduction
This is an outline to talk about the leadership role nurses can have in population base
areas. This paper will talk about care of cancer patient receiving palliative care and cancer
prevention. It will touch upon about nurses can be involved in the community as leaders.
Two areas of nursing that will be looked at for my community project are nursing in the
home of cancer patient and a manager of a local free clinic educating adults on how to
prevent cancer.
Role of direct contact nurse
"Tertiary prevention is a long-term management and treatment of clients with chronic
conditions such as cancer, so that the quality of life is maintained(Harkness, G. & DeMarco,
A. 2012). Home healthcare which in this case is providing palliative care to a cancer patient,
can be employed by local health care agencies, hospitals or be self employed. In some cases
the home health nurse is employed by the same hospital that the patient goes to received their
chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.
As of home healthcare nurse you have many responsibilities including leadership,
caregiving and being a patient's advocate. Home healthcare nursing maybe one of the only
interactions the patient will have on a weekly/daily basis. Not only is it important to provide
pain management but also providing psychosocial support. Assessments should be done see
if the patient feels a loss of social networks, maintaining independence and balancing
independence and the need for care (OConnor.M, 2014). Nurses are responsible for working
with the agency's doctors to receieve orders that they need to provide the best care for the
patient. They must ensure to complete their work because there might not be another nurse
coming after they leave for the day.

Population Based Issues

In a home care setting the nurse must be a good leader and should have traits such as
flexibility, enthusiastic, open-minded, resourcefulness, open to change, organized, consistent
and must be an innovator (Holden, 2009). These are only some of the qualities home
healthcare nurse should possess to get good quality care to palliative cancer patients. With
home health care patients nurses must remember to have effective communication that
includes active listening, fostering a safe environment and know what the patient means by
the message (ANA, 2013). This is all part of building collaborative relationships.
Role of leader/manager nurse
The role of the leader in the free clinic would be to organize classes for a males and
females above the age of 18. These classes would focus on primary and secondary
prevention of cancer. These classes will be offered at no cost to the patient to help promote
people of all incomes to attend the classes. Classes would be offered three times a week for a
session of two hours each. Handouts would be given regarding the subjects spoken about
along with websites they visit to do more research on the subject they are interested in and
numbers of counselors available to speak with them about their risk. Brochures would be
given with a list of services available at a discounted price such as vaccines, Pap smears and
skin assessments.
Being a leader at a free clinic means that the nurse will have the opportunity to see
many different cultures. It is important to being together culture and the learning
environment to inspire innovation and creative thinking, create an environment that safe both
physically and psychologically and sharing knowledge and learning from mistakes (ANA,
2013). It is also important that we build authentic relationships with our clients including

Population Based Issues

being true to yourself, empowering others to have ideas and to share them and respect other's
personalities (ANA, 2013).
Several common characteristics of exemplary nurse leaders, including: a passion for
nursing; a sense of optimism; the ability to form personal connections with their staff;
excellent role modeling and mentorship; and the ability to manage crisis while guided by a
set of moral principles(Anonson.J,2013). It is important as a leader to possess all of the
skills.
Analysis
These roles are similar because they both take independent, enthusiastic and driven
nurses for these roles to be successful. They both take flexibility to change and be open
mindedness with different cultures and values that patients bring into the equation. They are
different because to be home healthcare nurse you must have a passion for helping people in
their homes being nonjudgmental of their home environments and work independently away
from a team. Home health-care nurses must also possess time management and personal
accountability.
A manager of the free clinic works with a team and has responsibility of the
employees and volunteers. A manager would not have a set schedule so she would have to be
flexible during the classes and if an emergency was to arise. She also should be available at
the time of the classes to speak with volunteers or employees that may have questions
concerning a patient. At the free clinic the classes require more people working together
versus home healthcare nurse working with one patient.
Both jobs possess their own special place in the healthcare field. These nurses could
impact the growth of nursing in different positive ways. Home healthcare nurse could impact

Population Based Issues

the politicians by activity asking for more assistance in the home healthcare setting including
equipment, transportation or education to the patients. A leader of the free clinic could press
to get more funding to make a bigger impact on the surrounding community for cancer
prevention including more free screenings, more cancer prevention classes and education for
primary prevention at home.
Reflection
I think that my skills would be best suited for a leadership position in a free clinic
teaching organizing classes for cancer prevention. I possess leadership characteristics such as
flexibility, good communicator, enthusiasm, open-mindedness, and resourcefulness, open
change and well educated. I have had many opportunities to volunteer before becoming a
nurse and I enjoyed helping with classes, teaching classes and organizing classes to be a
success. I think it would be hard for me to build relationships with patients and watch them
move away or stop coming to the classes. I would always wonder what happened to the
patient, where their life had taken them or if I made a lasting impression. To help counteract
these struggles I would try and focus on my patients I had currently and what I can do to
impact their life.
I possess some of the skills needed for home healthcare nurse such as personal
accountability, organization and consistency. All of these skills and more are needed to be a
great home health care nurse. I would do well being of home healthcare nurse working with
palliative cancer patients. I think I would struggle with time management if I worked in a
home healthcare setting, because I can get caught up in talking to the patient about their life
and forget about the time. I also struggled going into people's houses if they had unusual
animals living in their houses or the house is extremely dirty or a hoarder. I would try to be

Population Based Issues

nonjudgmental but it would be hard for me. I would try to remember that everybody is at a
different place in life and I do not know his or her whole story. I would try and keep an open
mind about the many aspects of life.
There are pros and cons to both jobs. In both jobs the nurse care make a lasting
impression on the patient's, the family and the volunteers. Is important to remember that
everyone comes from a different walk of life. We must look past are differences to make a
better future for our palliative patients and the clients we work with at the free clinic.

Population Based Issues

References
American Nurses Association (ANA)(2013) principles for collaborating relationships
between clinical nurses nurse managers. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursin
g/NursingStandards/ANAPrinciples/Principles-of-Collaborative-Relationships.pdf a
Anonson. J (2013) qualities of exemplary nurse leaders: perspectives of front-line nurses.
Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23822100 oh

Harkness, G. & DeMarco, A. (2012). Community and Public Health Nursing. WoltersKluwer: Philadelphia, PA.
Holden (2009) Leadership Cherecteristics. Retrieved from
http://leadership.uoregon.edu/resources/exercises_tips/skills/leadership_characteristic
s
OConnor.M. (2014) a qualitative exhalation of the experiences of people living alone in
receiving community-based palliative care. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24517298
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2013) 2020 Topics and Objectives.
Cancer. Retrieved From
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=5