Community nursing: roles, practice, and patient care

Community Nursing

Virginia Whooping Cough Epidemic

Community and nursing course employ an epidemiological approach to population-based nursing through assessment and evaluation on the effects of contemporary or health issues and health policies in public health. Many institutions have found it hard to place students for appropriate clinical courses that focus on populations. Nursing courses need appropriate training in order to handle health situations associated with populations. The training should aim at preparing all involved students by having many placement projects that will help improve future public health nurse (Moon, Henry, Connelly & Kirsch, 2005).

Whooping cough is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria known as Bordetella pertussis. A human disease transmitted from person to person through contact with the breathing system. Mostly the transmission happens through sneezing or coughing. The code of Virginia mandates the Health bodies to list diseases, which needs urgent intervention reported in an event of an outbreak. Pertussis is among the diseases that the code requires reported to either a local or state health departments when suspected by physicians, laboratories, or Medicare facilities (Moon et al., 2005).

Richmond as a modern city was crucial for the development of the colony of Virginia, the revolutionary war, and the Civil war in the United States. After the destructions, the reconstruction of Richmond and its location at the falls of the James River enhanced its growth economically and as a land transportation spot. In the 18th century, the population of Richmond was below 300. In 1780, the capital of Virginia moved to Richmond, and in the same year, Britain troops burned it down. However, Richmond recovered and incorporated as a city.

Richmond experienced a hurricane in 1972 that made the River James flood the whole of Virginia. The flooding waters reached a remarkably high height and so a wall erected to prevent future flooding. After years of decline of the economy, the vertical wall opened up portions for the riverfront developments. In addition, the tobacco company also aided Richmond back to its feet within six years, and the value of its real estate developed. By the 21st century, the population growth grew to 1.1 million although the population of the city itself had fallen to 200,000.

Whooping cough is an endemic and usually occurs in 3 to 5 years cycle. The incidences of pertussis greatly increased from 2008 whereby there were198 cases, and by 2011, there was a report of 399 cases. In 2010, whooping cough increased nationally due to the large outbreak in California. It is also clear that the most affected age bracket, are less than one year's followed by 5-10 a group years and 1-4 years age group. The percentage of deaths resulting to whooping cough is truly powerful in the infants aged less than six months compared to the other age groups. Parents are the main transmitters f the diseases to the infants. Many adults may not have the knowledge of having the infections, and thus there is the need to have a vaccine. Parents contribute about 24% of infection to their infants (HCPPTF Report, 2012).

Whooping cough incidences are also higher in the northwest region of the community wealth. In the northwest, the population is dense, and the medical system does not provide whooping cough testing hence leading to greater chances of infections. Richmond is a community in Virginia. The Richmond tri city forms the area around Richmond, and surrounded by two counties that are; Chesterfield and Henrico surround it. The community has a relative population. It has more than 200 schools implying that in the event of a break out of a contagious disease the community would be at risk. In this area, 2.6% of people are either Hispanic or have Latino origin. In addition, 93% of the people speak English and 3% speak Spanish in Richmond 38% of people married.

The population is about 1.3 million, and it has a growing international community, which adds to the areas cultural diversity and its cosmopolitan character. 49% of the population is males while 51% represents the female, and 54% of people are the working class aged 25-64. In addition, the education attainment includes 80.6% of people with high school or higher graduates, 20.8% for some college, and 32.0% with some Bachelor's Degree or higher. The greater Richmond adds to the Richmond's MSA's population of 74% with the population rate being slightly higher, than that of Richmond's MSA growth rate. Greater Richmond contains all the other towns that make up Virginia State (HCPPTF Report, 2012).

Richmond has a relative population with over 200 schools. The relative population of the children in schools creates a favorable condition of spread of disease in an event of an outbreak of a contagious disease such as whooping cough. In addition, there is a risk of the vaccines administered to infants wearing of and making them susceptible to whooping cough at their teenage in an event of an outbreak. There has been a central increase in the breakouts of whooping cough in Virginia and the United States. From 2009 -- 2010, major cases of the outbreak reported in Virginia that holds Richmond. Richmond has had cases of breakouts of whooping cough before and these continuous breakouts make an area susceptible to whooping cough.

Whooping cough is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria. It is a human disease, and it is transmission is human to human usually by contact with the infected person respiratory droplets, especially when he coughs or sneezes. It has an incubation period of 7 to 10 days; its range is between 4 to 21 days. Adults and adolescent who have partial protection from vaccines may have mild respiratory disease symptoms of common cold or influenza. Vaccines partially protect people they still have the potential to spread the disease (HCPPTF Report, 2012).