Essential VIII
Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving Health
"Recognizes that the master’s-prepared nurse applies and integrates broad, organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidence-based clinical prevention and population care and services to individuals, families, and aggregates/identified populations"
(American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2011, p. 5)
Clinical prevention and health promotion are critical to the role of the nurse practitioner. The primary focus of the nurse practitioner is to improve health and prevent disease in individuals, families, and communities. This is what nurse practitioners are very well trained to do. When I first started this program, I did not have the advanced knowledge of health promotion and disease prevention methods such as updated recommendations for health screenings and immunization schedules. At this point in my studies, I am able to discuss recommended screenings and immunizations in the clinical setting to all age populations appropriately. This is important to reduce the risk of disease and promote health within individuals, families, and communities.
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