The Role of Nurses in the Promotion of Health in Diabetes Mellitus

Running Head: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
The Role of Nurses in the Promotion of Health in Diabetes Mellitus
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Running Head: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Primary health care functions to prevent poor health and in promotion of health
and wellbeing of people. The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted an International
Conference in the capital of Canada in Ottawa. This was the first International
Conference on Health Promotion in 1986. As a result of the conference, a seminal
document was launched in the name of Ottawa Charter. It described the action plan for
achieving good health care for all and included the five most basic and crucial principles
for primary health care. The key strategies for health promotion as outlined by Ottawa
Charter are to build public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen
community action, develop personal skills, and reoriente health services. Primary Health
Care guiding principles can be applied in the control of type 2 diabetes. This is a
medical condition where the pancreas gland doesn’t secrete enough insulin or rather
the function of insulin in the body is resisted (Powers, et al, 2017). The objective of this
paper is to critically analyze the role of nurses and midwives in relation to diabetes
mellitus type 2 and health promotion strategies.
Diabetes Mellitus type 2
In Australia, 5% of the adult population aged 18 years and above have diabetes
mellitus type 2. This is according to a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, of the
period 2014-2015 ( Diabetes snapshot, Type 2 diabetes)
. Gender proportions were similar between men and women (6% and 5%) according to
the National Health Survey. Diabetes mellitus type 2 deaths are majorly caused by
cardiovascular disease. There has to be good glycemic control for the reduction in the
average mortality rate. Despite a significant proportion of the population diagnosed with
the disorder, no cure has been found for type-2 diabetes. However, management of the
disorder can be actualized. Management of type-2 diabetes can be achieved through
good healthy eating habits, loss of excessive weight and good physical exercising. In
extreme conditions of the disorder, insulin therapy and diabetes medication may be
necessary (Whitehead, et al, 2017). The symptoms which manifest gradually and
almost unnoticed in the very early stages of the disorder. They include fatigue,
increased hunger, and thirst, uncontrolled urination, unmerited weight loss, frequent
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Running Head: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
infections, slow and gradual healing sores, blurry vision, darkened skin in areas like the
armpit and neck, depression, anxiety and so forth (Sun, et al, 2016).
Build Public Health Policy
Building public health policy and advocacy is an aim to ensure that all sectors promote
health in their social and physical environments. Nurses engage in health sensitive
policies both at the local, national and international.The policies to eradicate excessive
fast food consumption and promote nutritious meals and regulate the ingredients used.
Nurses have advocated for a healthy workplace and school policy of incorporating
extra-curriculum activities into the school program with nutritious meals in boarding
facilities. There is fair accessibility to healthcare without discrimination to gender,
ethnicity, age or location (Wakerman, et al, 2017). Nurses policy advocacy efforts have
sealed the protection of the integrity of the nursing profession from commercial groups
that seek to push for drugs that are harmful to diabetic patients (Chesnay, & Anderson,
2019).
Create a supportive environment
Creating a supportive environment addresses the socioeconomic factors and
living conditions that influence the health of the people. For a healthy living in society,
there has to be sufficient healthy food, shelter, sustainable resources, a healthy culture,
and social norms. Type 2 diabetes clients are not an exception to this principle.
(Pirbaglou, et al, 2018) Nurses and midwives have engaged in health promotion
programs to ensure a healthy culture. The intervention of establishing health promotion
centers, integration of fitness centers and treatment centers in the communities. This
would result in weight control, blood sugar levels control and high scores in physical
activity. The registered nurse (RN) initiative to administer self-efficacy programs along
with diabetes education greatly reduces the number of patients admitted into the
emergency wards, the hospitalization rates due to improved self-care. The nurses have
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