Community Nursing Practice: HIV/AIDS, Primary Health Care in Australia

This report delves into the crucial role of community nurses in addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS within the Australian context. It examines how community nurses utilize the principles of primary health care, including health promotion, accessibility, intersectoral cooperation, public participation, and appropriate technology, to protect and promote the health of individuals at risk of HIV exposure and those living with HIV/AIDS. The report details various interventions employed by community nurses, such as health education, risk reduction strategies, direct patient support, and the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Furthermore, it highlights the significance of community awareness campaigns and the importance of early diagnosis and sustained treatment. The report also references the contributions of New Zealand-based organizations and their interventions to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Through these strategies, community nurses aim to improve the well-being of individuals in the community.

Running head: COMMUNITY NURSING
Community Nursing
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Community Nursing
Primary health care principles are practices that are undertaken by the community or
individuals in society on behalf of the community. Primary health care is often confused with
primary care and primary nursing. Primary care is when a clinician provided a diagnosis to a
patient the offers treatment and follows up; it is usually specific to a disease or a condition. On
the other hand, primary nursing involves delivering nursing services to a particular patient; the
nurse is required to plan the full-time care of a patient. Community nurses can use the principles
of primary care to improve the health of individuals who are at risk of contracting HIV. These
principles can also be used to promote the health of people living with HIV/AIDS. Primary
health care focuses on the major types of care, curative, supportive, preventive, rehabilitative,
and promotive care. The primary health care principles are; health promotion, accessibility,
intersectoral cooperation, public participation, and appropriate technology.
The principle of health promotion involves helping the community to improve the
economic and social conditions that help to promote good health. Through health promotion,
community nurses can help individuals living with HIV/AIDs or individuals at risk of exposure
to HIV, by providing them with health education about the disease, ensuring the individuals
receive proper nutrition and sanitation and improving maternal and child health care of the
community (Hosseinzadeh & Dadich, 2016). The goal of the principle of health promotion is to
reduce the demand for curative and rehabilitative care. It empowers the community to develop
the necessary skills that help them improve and maintain their well-being (Wakerman et al.,
2017).
Accessibility involves ensuring that all the primary health care services are available to
everyone regardless of their geographical location, gender, ethnicity, or age. Community nurses

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can help operationalize the principle of accessibility by defining the necessary health care
services for HIV/AIDS patients. They can also ensure that other health professionals are
distributed to all communities, both rural and urban. The principle of accessibility will help the
people living with HIV or people at risk of contracting HIV to receive the primary health care
within an appropriate time frame (Leahy et al., 2017).
Intersectoral cooperation principle dictates that the community’s well-being and health do
not depend solely on excellent health care services but also governmental and non-governmental
organizations. The government is responsible for making public health policies and evaluation
and planning of current health services. Community nurses can participate in the formulation of
strategies that will help patients living with HIV/AIDs and individuals at risk of contracting HIV.
Community nurses should also help in the delivery and design of the services provided to this
vulnerable group (Thomas, Wakerman & Humphreys, 2015).
Public participation principle encourages the community to make decisions about their
population’s health. It empowers the community with skills to identify their health needs,
consider the merits and demerits approaches that address the requirements, and make a decision.
Through public participation, diversity and harmony are created in the community. Community
nurses adopt this principle to help the community ensure that the health care for patients living
with HIV/AIDS is responsive and flexible (Baum, Freeman, Lawless, Labonte & Sanders, 2017).
The principle of appropriate technology means that health services provided are suitable
for the community’s cultural, economic, and social development. The technology used should be
morally acceptable to the community. Community nurses are required to consider the
alternatives to the high tech or high-cost services when providing primary health care to

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individuals living with HIV/AIDs or individuals at risk of contracting HIV depending on the
community (Laycock, Bailie, Matthews & Bailie, 2016).
There are interventions used by community nurses to achieve the principles of primary
health care. These interventions help to promote and protect the health of the individuals,
especially in this vulnerable population. An example of an intervention is providing people with
education. Previous studies have shown that education intervention can reduce the spread of HIV
by up to 80% (Hall, 2015). The community nurses in Australia educate the individuals at risk of
exposure to HIV on how HIV spreads. This vulnerable group is educated about the modification
of their sexual behaviors either through the use of condoms or abstaining. Community awareness
through campaigns and prevention messages are beneficial (McKittrick & McKenzie, 2018).
Community nurses also protect and promote health in this vulnerable group by using risk
reduction strategies like proper disposal of needles and safer injecting drug use practices. The
nurses also provide direct support to the patients, both emotional and mental. The population
living with HIV/AIDs is also educated on proper diet, importance of exercise, and the right
medication. According to research, infected individuals who take medication regularly and have
a maintained viral suppression are at no risk of spreading the virus (Baum, Freeman, Lawless,
Labonte & Sanders, 2017).
For the population at risk of exposure of HIV, community nurses in Australia have
reduced the duration between infection and diagnosis. Through early and sustained treatment, it
is possible to achieve an undetectable viral load. There is also the presence of post-exposure
prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an intervention for this vulnerable
group. PrEP is a treatment option that targets individuals who are at a high risk of infection with
HIV. The individual is required to take a daily dose to reduce their chances of infection. PEP, on

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the other hand, is an antiretroviral drug that targets individuals who have just been infected with
HIV. The dose is administered within 72 hours after the suspected infection. It is commonly
given to rape victims or people involved in accidents (Mutch et al., 2017).
New Zealand based organizations, such as Public Health Clinical network have also
helped community nurses identify related primary health care principles through various
interventions. An example is prioritizing the improvement of Maori health (Holt, 2017). They
have also begun focusing on the health of communities instead of individual health, reducing
health disparities by using evidence-based practices, influencing health determinants in the
community, building collaborations with other sectors other than health sector and remaining
responsive to any emerging health threats (Dent et al., 2016).
The goal of community nursing is to promote the health of individuals in the community.
To achieve this goal, the nurses to should apply the primary health care principles. They include
health promotion, accessibility, inter-sectoral cooperation, public participation, and appropriate
technology. Through these principles, they can help to promote the health of individuals living
with HIV/AIDS and protect the health of individuals who are at risk of being exposed to HIV.
Several interventions have been used by the community nurses to help this vulnerable population
and have proven to be very effective, especially in Australia.

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References
Baum, F., Freeman, T., Lawless, A., Labonte, R., & Sanders, D. (2017). What is the difference
between comprehensive and selective primary health care? Evidence from a five-year
longitudinal realist case study in South Australia. BMJ Open, 7(4), e015271.
Dent, E., Hoon, E., Karnon, J., Newbury, J., Kitson, A., & Beilby, J. (2016). Frailty and health
service use in rural South Australia. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 62, 53-58.
Hall, J. (2015). Australian health care—the challenge of reform in a fragmented system. New
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Holt, M. (2017). Progress and challenges in ending HIV and AIDS in Australia. AIDS and
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Hosseinzadeh, H., & Dadich, A. (2016). Cross-cultural integration affects attitudes towards
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