Family Health – Week 1 Discussion 1st REPLY

Please reply to the following discussion with one or more reference. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite resources in your responses to other classmates. 

Discussion attached

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Factors for For Annual Exams for Adolescent Patients

Going to health facilities for examinations can be intimidating, especially for a teenager accompanied by a mother. Therefore, health practitioners play critical roles because their presence can help calm the patient and promote a smooth examination experience. Therefore, the first and major component a practitioner should implement is to relax the patient. A warm smile, a friendly welcome, and a gentle introduction often help patients to relax (Fuentes et al., 2018). Therefore, the practitioner should tell and assure the patient that he is in safe and capable hands and that there will be no judgment whatsoever in the room. The reassurance will likely make the patient relax and promote trust. The next step involves informing the patient about procedures that will be conducted in the examination and the significance of consent and confidentiality.

It is also essential to examine the patient’s physical health. Teenagers’ bodies change, and practitioners often measure patients’ weight and height to determine whether they are developing correctly, specifically for calculating the body mass index (BMI) (Chiang et al., 2018). The annual exam also requires the practitioner to assess the patient’s family and medical history, nutritional habits, and vaccination history. Such factors equip the practitioner with adequate information to provide correct care and treatment. The provider should also record the findings for future use should the patient come for another visit. Generally, the examination requires honesty from the patient and in-depth assessment from the practitioner.

 Is The Mother’s Presence Needed During The Examination

A fourteen-year-old is an adolescent who knows right from wrong and is capable of making informed decisions (Fisher et al., 2018). Therefore, the mother’s presence is unnecessary during the annual examination. Aside from that, adolescents are often reluctant to share some information with parents, especially concerning their sex life. A report released by the ever-capable American Medical Association (AMA), states that adolescents eleven years and older should spend some sections of health appointments alone with practitioners (Arora et al., 2019). It continues to state that a parent’s presence during examinations may prompt an adolescent to lie about their health or withhold valuable information that can facilitate treatment.

Besides, allowing the teenager to interact with the practitioner one-on-one bulbs trust, whereby the patient learns that practitioners are not as scary and judgemental as one would assume (Abbasinia et al., 2019). However, the practitioner should ask the patient whether he is comfortable with the mother’s presence during the examination. If the answer is positive, the mother can stay, but if it is negative, the practitioner must respect the patient’s wishes and ask the mother to exit the exam room. Nevertheless, the mother’s presence will be required if the teenager is in danger or to approve treatments. Aside from that, the nurse can educate the mother about changes that should be made in the child’s environment to facilitate his health. For instance, if the weight test reveals that the teenager is obese, the practitioner can educate the mother about healthy eating habits and physical exercises and how they can control the child’s weight.

A Description of a Health Promotion Strategy I Would Discuss with The Patient

Peer pressure is a significant problem among teenagers. Often, teenagers feel the need to be accepted by friends or the need to fit in with a particular group (Chiang et al., 2018). In some cases, groups can have initiation practices that may be unsafe for one’s health. For instance, one might require new members to smoke or engage in sexual intercourse to prove their adulthood. Such practices are unhealthy and can lead to more bad decisions in the future. Therefore, the best health promotion strategy that I would discuss and recommend for the patient is abstinence from peer pressure.

The mother is concerned that the son is keeping bad company, which could affect his grades. Sometimes, parents get frustrated when their children do not heed their advice and often rely on third parties like friends, relatives, and health practitioners for help (Fuentes et al., 2018). In this case, I would educate the teenager about negative peer pressure and its long-term effects. This is important for the patient because peer pressure can result in bad habits that can cause long-term implications like addiction and disrespect from communities, family members, and society.

  Screening Tools That Might be Important During The Exam

Teenagers are often curious about sex, and with curiosity comes the probability of making bad sex decisions. Therefore, the nurse should test for sexually transmitted infections like HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV, chlamydia, pubic lice, and genital herpes. Most symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases or infections remain hidden until the condition starts advancing (Arora et al., 2019). The nurse can conduct a blood test to check for HIV and a rapid plasma reagin (RPR) for syphilis. The rapid immunochromatographic test is an equally effective screening tool for syphilis. On the other hand, the nurse can conduct a blood test if she suspects drug abuse. A blood test would reveal the presence and quantity of drugs in the blood, making it possible to take corrective action.

     References

Abbasinia, M., Ahmadi, F., & Kazemnejad, A. (2019). Patient advocacy in nursing: A concept

analysis.  Nursing Ethics,  27(1), 096973301983295. /orders/doi.org/10.1177/0969733019832950

Arora, S., Stouffer, G. A., Kucharska-Newton, A. M., Qamar, A., Vaduganathan, M., Pandey, A.,

Porterfield, D., Blankstein, R., Rosamond, W. D., Bhatt, D. L., & Caughey, M. C. (2019). Twenty Year Trends and Sex Differences in Young Adults Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction.  Circulation,  139(8), 1047–1056. /orders/doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.118.037137

Chiang, J. L., Maahs, D. M., Garvey, K. C., Hood, K. K., Laffel, L. M., Weinzimer, S. A.,

Wolfsdorf, J. I., & Schatz, D. (2018). Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents: A Position Statement by the American Diabetes Association.  Diabetes Care,  41(9), 2026–2044. /orders/doi.org/10.2337/dci18-0023

Fisher, C. B., Fried, A. L., Macapagal, K., & Mustanski, B. (2018). Patient-Provider

Communication Barriers and Facilitators to HIV and STI Preventive Services for Adolescent MSM.  AIDS and Behavior,  22(10), 3417–3428. /orders/doi.org/10.1007/s10461-018-2081-x

Fuentes, L., Ingerick, M., Jones, R., & Lindberg, L. (2018). Adolescents’ and Young Adults’

Reports of Barriers to Confidential Health Care and Receipt of Contraceptive Services.  Journal of Adolescent Health,  62(1), 36–43. /orders/doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.10.011