Program Description
I participated in a community education and awareness program to manage End-Stage Renal Disease ESRD. Utilizing a physical class setup, community members were educated on the preventative measures applicable at the onset and advancement of kidney diseases. I gained exemplary knowledge critical to my non-traditional experience and practice. The program gave me insights into accountable coordinated care, the future of nursing in the community, implicit bias and stereotypes within the community, role of nurses in hospital settings, communities, clinics, and medical homes. Planning for the teaching sought to introduce community-based programs to enhance ESRD awareness, prevention measures, and management. The learning was set as a community outreach program that engaged nurses from all levels of practice, training, and community members, particularly those affected by kidney disorders. In the plan, community members were given insights about healthy living, nursing roles in ESRD management, and how to combat the stigma of individual advantages and risk factors for kidney complications.
The teaching scheduled for five days in outpatient health facilities costs $50. Participants from all age groups included ESRD patients and other community members eager to learn about healthy living. Invitation emails detailed the location and the schedule of the event. Topics discussed in the teaching plan included the relationship between quality of life and health condition, the prevalence of ESRD, factors influencing health-seeking behaviors, and nurses’ changing role and responsibility in mental care. Visual and auditory aids relayed critical information in the teaching process. Training nurses and community participants were allowed to give suggestions on the schedule, learning activities, and learning approach.
Healthy People (HP) 2022 objectives and Alma-Ata health laid the foundation for the project by emphasizing the need to extend the life expectancy for all by mitigating the prevalence of avoidable illnesses and promoting early disease detection and intervention. Participants were allowed a 10-minutes break during the presentation for refreshments and to enhance their attentiveness. Challenges and complexities of maintaining healthy living to minimize community risk for ESRD were discussed, hence nurses’ role in navigating the challenges, such as building healthy relationships with patients and recognizing symptoms early. The increasing roles of accountable care organizations are foregrounded. Families and patients expressed their challenges, particularly stigmatization, among other social challenges. The community turn-out and response through clinical screening for ESRD were used to determine the success of the teaching experience
Epidemiological Rationale for Topic
Convincing research indicates that early ESRD detection through regular screening reduces incidence of kidney diseases, enhances treatment, and improves life expectancy. Kidney failure is a progressive condition that results in death without early dialysis or transplant. Poor health-seeking behaviors categorized by the low tendency for ESRD screening is a community health problem mitigated through community education that creates awareness of the community’s risk and promotes early analysis hence intervention for kidney failure. In default of early intervention, ESRD develops into Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) that is subjective to reduced quality of life and significant premature mortality (Benjamin & Lappin, 2021). There is a high association between the tendency of ESRD screening, early dialysis, and life expectancy; hence deficient community education is a health challenge.
Despite the spike in diabetes, there is less awareness that people with diabetes are highly vulnerable to ESRD. Over time, high blood sugar damages blood vessels in the kidneys and nephrons, resulting in nephropathy. Inappropriate blood sugar levels control without regular kidney failure screening is the common cause of ESRD. Implementing community awareness of diabetic nephropathy will enhance the health-seeking behaviors of people living with diabetes and control blood sugar levels. Globally, 13.4% of the ESRD patients who require replacement therapy ranges from 4.902 to 7.083 million. Diabetes is positively related to the quality of living and severe hypoglycemia. Out of 120,000 people who sought treatment for renal diseases in 2014, 53,000 had diabetes accounting for 45% of the ESRD population (CDC, 2018). Moreover, evidence-based research suggests that quality of living and appropriate illness-preventative measures determines life expectancy. The project aims to promote early analysis, check-ups, and appropriate medications applied in the early stages before it worsens.
According to race, ESRD is more prevalent in non-Hispanic black adults than in other demographics. According to Benjamin and Lappin (2021), it affects more women than males. In addition, non-Hispanic Black adults (16%) experience ESRN more than non-Hispanic White people (13%) or non-Hispanic Asian adults (13%) (Benjamin & Lappin, 2021). According to the research, 14% of Hispanic individuals have ESRD. ESRD contributes to the global incidence of death and comorbidity (Benjamin & Lappin, 2021). Community-based education is the most appropriate approach to enhancing awareness to foster healthy living. Distributing ESRD clinical data will acknowledge the appropriate preventative measures and demographic information relating to renal health.
Evaluation of Teaching Experience
The teaching experience gave me considerable acumen in identifying solutions to problems based on quick and accurate analyses, core competencies in community-based care, and the future of nursing. According to Klingbeil & Gibson (2018), Teaching back is the most practical teaching strategy for community education to enhance health improvement and empowerment. Nursing diagnosis for patients with ESRD evaluated the fluid volume containing food excesses, reduced urine output, water, and sodium retention. The learning experience started by delineating ESRD etiology, the risk factors, and the causes of the disease. From experience, I learned how to identify problems that may emerge in clinical practice and subsequently make decisions to provide quality intervention and care. Understanding that nursing is flexible, the experience illuminated the intellectual challenge and need for providers’ continuum education elemental for competent care.
The program highlighted the relationship between severe hypoglycemia and end-stage renal disease while underpinning the appropriate prevention and intervention measures for diabetic demographics. Financiers provided appropriate technical support and pre-recorded learning modules and allowed interaction among providers to share knowledge on professional responsibilities. In parallel, the teaching method emphasized self-directed learning based on accredited clinical research while systematically examining and learning the use of the latest technology and information to enhance critical thinking skills. High-fidelity trauma simulation provided a high level of interactivity and realism in creating an excellent emotional environment.
Records used to illustrate statistical evidence were identified through database searching and distributed evenly among attendees. Participants were informed of the schedule and topics to be discussed in the teaching experience a week earlier. The practicum experience helped me re-imagine my professional identity and become more socialized with the new and future professional nursing role. The event was scheduled to begin at 8:00 am and conclude at 12:30 pm for five days. The project was evaluated by assessing the turn-out of the project and the number of people who adopt ESRD screening tendencies.
Community Response to Teaching
The community seemingly engaged in the activity and asked questions about trauma-affected people’s social challenges. Participants recorded their experiences and retained materials on issues addressed in the lessons, such as symptoms and risk factors for ESRD. All attendees arrived on time for the project and displayed positive body language and preparedness for learning. The community appreciated the civic action and volunteerism aimed at positive community impact. By balancing both community engagement and learning goals equitably, the project enhanced the flexibility of the learning experience. Community members voiced their most urgent needs and concerns regarding nursing’s role in mental care.
The positive response of the attendees can be attributed to the alignment of tasks with their learning goals. Most participants were engaged in the project activities and contributed meaningfully to the presentation as they appreciated the teaching plan of paying attention to each individual. The teaching approach was appealing; every provider volunteered by taking responsibility for the lesson. Participants seemed eager to learn home-based nursing and decision-making when managing kidney diseases. They believe they have a crucial responsibility in managing mental conditions with less therapy support and are accountable for their own decisions. Community members’ high sense of responsibility and response affirm high satisfaction in the overall learning experience.
Areas of Strength
First, the engrossed understanding of the topic and instructions was one central area of strength that directed the order of activities throughout the lesson plan. The use of digital technology in presentation enhanced the speed and the quality of the teaching experience. Notably, the learning environment is choreographed to motivate participants to engage in the program and successfully execute the assigned tasks. The training nurses and community members were mainly assisted in deciphering what they inquired about ESRD. The interactive activities applied to community-based caregiving helped me comprehend the course content and support the local community’s health awareness. The orientation and readiness to learn, coupled with the effective delivery of the learning content, translated to the project’s success. The program achieved its intended outcomes by considering the learning approach, process, and community response.
Areas of Improvement
The community project lacked sufficient funding and was challenged by unpredictable weather changes. The initiative was unable to meet the prospected financing for practical sustainability. Future studies of donor relationship cultivation and the grant-writing process will enhance funding from individual and corporate sponsors. Developing the capacity to manage projects and plan for financial sustainability would implicate budget management. The success of the learning experience relied on favorable weather conditions since extreme conditions such as rain, snow, storms, and winds would interrupt the project. With sufficient funding, the initiative could be organized in an environment not affected by unpredictable weather changes such as in community halls.
Moreover, there is a lack of a structured curriculum for community teaching that features all age groups. Attendees for the teaching experience included all age groups with diverse learning needs and pace that challenged the anonymity and effective collaboration during the teaching process. First, considerable time was invested in building working relationships between participants. Gathering responses and insights from participants consumed significant time, considering some speakers took longer than expected. Creating a connection between the various age groups unveiled discrepancies in learning styles, personalities, attention spans, abilities, and learning needs. For instance, young and middle age learners were more flexible than older adults in adapting to the technological support of visual and audio aids with different structures and uses. However, older participants displayed higher attention spans compared to young participants. To effectively accomplish the learning objectives across all age groups, there is a need for an integrated curriculum that features diverse age demographics.
References
Benjamin, O., & Lappin, S. L. (2021). End-stage renal disease.Stat Pearls Publishing. Web.
CDC. (2018). Incidence of end-stage renal disease attributed to diabetes among persons with diagnosed diabetes – the United States and Puerto Rico, 2000–2014. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Klingbeil, C., & Gibson, C. (2018). The teach-back project: a system-wide evidence-based practice implementation. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 42, 81-85.