Write a paper (2,000-2,500 words) in which you apply the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to a communicable disease
Write a paper (2,000-2,500 words) in which you apply the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to a communicable disease
Write a paper (2,000-2,500 words) in which you apply the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to a communicable disease
Role of the Community Health Nurse
The nurses play a critical role in the prevention and treatment of the infectious diseases in the community. They have the relevant information on the causative agents of the disease, the associated symptoms, the incubation period, the transmission modes, treatment regimen and the prevention measures. The skills and information help the community health nurses work with community members in reducing the spread of the disease, managing of the symptoms and carrying out vaccination programs. Additionally, they do also carry out educational programs to sensitize the population on best practices to help manage the spread of other infectious diseases (Joyce et al., 2018). The nature of the disease, especially its high rate of transmission, requires community nurses, to carry out the assessment of the populations in the society from time to time and advice the members of the community, leaders and policy-makers on the best possible preventive and treatment measures. The nurses are better placed to provide enough information on the efficiency of the pharmacological agents used in the treatment of the disease.
National Agencies and Organizations Handling Chickenpox
The handling of infectious diseases such as chicken pox coordinated by the health organizations such as the WHO and the CDC. The CDC prevention unit has provided adequate information on the causative agent of chicken pox, its transmission, disease progression, symptoms and the preventive measures including the vaccination programs. Additionally, the CDC provides an easy to understand and use fact sheet to all the stakeholders about the disease (Presti et al., 2019). But the WHO provides additional information on the preventive measures including travel advisory when vising certain regions of the world. (De Vito et al., 2017). National Foundation for Infectious Diseases( NFID) and the National Shingles Foundation are the fundamental organizations mandated to tackle the chicken pox outbreak in the country.
The NFID, is non-profit based and aims at creating public awareness and healthcare education programs. These programs sensitize the public on the causative agents of the infectious diseases, the transmission mechanisms, symptoms, preventive measures and the treatment. Its main objective is to use education as a platform to raise awareness among the populations.
The Global Implications of Chicken Pox
The WHO classifies chicken pox as a highly contagious viral disease that has a high prevalence among children. The vivax vaccine for the diseases was developed in 1995 and approved for use by the FDA. Chicken pox vaccine is available worldwide and all populations can assess the vaccine. The usage of the vaccine in countries such as Japan, Korea, Australia and Germany has received extensive coverage (Gray & Cathie, 2019). In these countries, the usage of vaccine has had a significant impact on reduction of the mortality and morbidity rates. However, in the developing countries, the vaccine has not been used extensively meaning that in some of these countries, chicken pox is still experienced at an epidemic level. The disease is still a health threat in the world will about 4.2 million infections and 4200 deaths annually.
Conclusion
Chicken pox is a highly contagious viral diseases that was a serious healthcare threat before the development of the vivax vaccine in 1995. The vaccine has an efficinecy of about 90%. The key symptoms experinced by patients are of common cold like sore throat, fever and running nose. Additionally, the patient develops vesicles that are itchy and could be a risk to development of commorbidities such as cellulite which is a bacterial infection. In the analysis of the social determinants of health, the disease is prevalent in poor populations that are affected by low literacy levels and poor hygiene. The epidemiological triage of the diseases analyses the interaction between the host, the causative agent and the environment. This is crucial as it provides adequate information on the rate of transmission and the possible prevention measures to be taken.
Additionally, it helps in identification of the most potent pharmacologic agents to treat the infection and related conditions. In the control and prevention of the disease in the community, the multidiscplinary approach is key. The community health nurses are at the center of the preventive and the treatment programs. They are the one in touch with the community and have adequate information about the disease that will help them in advising the populations on the preventive measures.
References
Cassidy, A., & McBrien, J. (2019). GP170 A series of serious sequelae–a collection of cases of chickenpox complications.
Conway, J. J., Toresdahl, B. G., Ling, D. I., Boniquit, N. T., Callahan, L. R., & Kinderknecht, J. J. (2018). Prevalence of Inadequate Immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella in MLB and NBA Athletes. Sports health, 10(5), 406-411.
De Vito, E., Parente, P., De Waure, C., Poscia, A., & Ricciardi, W. (2017). A review of evidence on equitable delivery, access and utilization of immunization services for migrants and refugees in the WHO European Region.
Duncan, D. L. (2019). Chickenpox: Presentation, transmission, complications and prevention. British Journal of School Nursing, 14(10), 482-485.
Gray, S. J., & Cathie, K. (2019). Fifteen-minute consultation: Chickenpox vaccine—should parents immunise their children privately?. Archives of Disease in Childhood-Education and Practice, 104(3), 120-123.
Hanson, B. M., & Weinstock, G. M. (2016). The importance of the microbiome in epidemiologic research. Annals of epidemiology, 26(5), 301-305.
Joyce, B. L., Harmon, M., Johnson, R. G. H., Hicks, V., Brown‐Schott, N., Pilling, L., & Brownrigg, V. (2018). Community/public health nursing faculty’s knowledge, skills and attitudes of the Quad Council Competencies for Public Health Nurses. Public Health Nursing, 35(5), 427-439.
Keefe, R. H., Lane, S. D., Heyman, J. C., & Congress, E. P. (2018). Health promotion and public health. Health and social work: Practice, policy and research, 89-104.
Luyten, J., & Beutels, P. (2016). The social value of vaccination programs: beyond cost-effectiveness. Health Affairs, 35(2), 212-218.
Presti, C. L., Curti, C., Montana, M., Bornet, C., & Vanelle, P. (2019). Chickenpox: An update. Medecine et maladies infectieuses, 49(1), 1-8.
Reisinger, K. S., Richardson, E., Malacaman, E. A., Levin, M. J., Gardner, J. L., Wang, W., … & Kuter, B. (2019). A double-blind, randomized, controlled, multi-center safety and immunogenicity study of a refrigerator-stable formulation of VARIVAX®. Vaccine, 37(38), 5788-5795.
Senders, S. D., Bundick, N. D., Li, J., Zecca, C., & Helmond, F. A. (2018). Evaluation of immunogenicity and safety of VARIVAX™ New Seed Process (NSP) in children. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 14(2), 442-449.
Shin, Y. U., Kim, J., Hong, E. H., Kim, J., Sohn, J. H., & Cho, H. (2017). Varicella Zoster Virus–Associated Necrotizing Retinitis After Chickenpox in a 10-Year-Old Female: A Case Report. The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 36(10), 1008-1011.
Smith, E. (2019). The Effect of Potential Climate Change on Infectious Disease Presentation. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15(6), 405-409.
Yu, J., Ashworth, J., Hughes, S., & Jones, N. (2018). Varicella-zoster virus necrotising retinitis, retinal vasculitis and panuveitis following uncomplicated chickenpox in an immunocompetent child. Case Reports, 2018, bcr-2017.
Assessment Description
Write a paper (2,000-2,500 words) in which you apply the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to a communicable disease. Refer to “Communicable Disease Chain,” “Chain of Infection,” and the CDC website for assistance when completing this assignment.
Communicable Disease Selection
- Chickenpox
- Tuberculosis
- Influenza
- Mononucleosis
- Hepatitis B
- HIV
- Ebola
- Measles
- Polio
- Influenza
Epidemiology Paper Requirements
- Describe the chosen communicable disease, including causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment, and the demographic of interest (mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence). Is this a reportable disease? If so, provide details about reporting time, whom to report to, etc.
- Describe the social determinants of health and explain how those factors contribute to the development of this disease.
- Discuss the epidemiologic triangle as it relates to the communicable disease you have selected. Include the host factors, agent factors (presence or absence), and environmental factors. Are there any special considerations or notifications for the community, schools, or general population?
- Explain the role of the community health nurse (case finding, reporting, data collection, data analysis, and follow-up) and why demographic data are necessary to the health of the community.
- Identify at least one national agency or organization that addresses the communicable disease chosen and describe how the organizations contribute to resolving or reducing the impact of disease.
- Discuss a global implication of the disease. How is this addressed in other countries or cultures? Is this disease endemic to a particular area? Provide an example.
A minimum of three peer-reviewed or professional references is required.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Course Resources if you need assistance.
Attachments
NRS-428VN-RS2-CommunicableDiseaseCha

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS
Discussion Questions (DQ)
Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.
Weekly Participation
Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.
APA Format and Writing Quality
Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.
Use of Direct Quotes
I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.
LopesWrite Policy
For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.
Late Policy
The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.
Communication
Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:
Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.
