Program Outcome # 1

Learning Experience 1

           Applying critical thought to any problem is the first of my steps when you are looking into a health related problem in society. What made this paper significant was that it encouraged me to apply the knowledge of health promotion to a variety of community health issues in a creative way. There were several of these weekly papers, but I enjoyed this one because it illustrates what I have mentioned previously. In the paper titled Week Two Critical Thinking Questions, I examine and answer key links between environment and behavior. I also look at patterns that influence health related issues both in this country and abroad. Each question centers on a different health issue and each response requires examining the problem and responding with thought-out educated answer. I enjoyed these types of questions and I enjoyed looking into the various solutions to find one that would be the most beneficial to the public. These assignments and many others like it helped me to look beyond the narrow world we spend most of our time in and see the impact that diseases are causing. So many people take disease prevention for granted in our society, but I find it significant to the survival of our population.

HS 305 Week2 critical thinking questions

Learning Experience 2

            This project was significant to me because it taught me that to prevent a disease and applied the concepts of prevention you must understand what the disease is. Disease research and investigating can be seen in the paper I wrote about Pulmonary Tuberculosis. I got the chance to dig into a health related problem and learn about its origins, how it functions in the environment and in the host. It was easy to transmit from person to person and deadly for anyone with COPD. At the time, it felt like I was putting tiny puzzle pieces together constructing a much bigger picture. I have traveled around the world and knew that this particular disease was in several of the places that I had been. Making this kind of connection was a turning point for me. There are so many diseases that exist in the world today. They can be deadly; they can devastate communities and families regardless of socioeconomics. Making a personal connection made me want to do more, learn more and help others. While researching for this paper, I felt compelled to know more about how public health professionals and health care providers could help. It meets the program outcome because it involves health promotion and disease prevention concepts.

 

Learning Experience 3

          In the paper I wrote titled Theory Intervention Project, I began to see how health could be promoted through theory intervention models. I took a common problem, obesity within the older population and using the concepts and foundation I learned in my previous health science classes, created a project. This project connected critical thinking skills, and the use of foundational knowledge of health promotion to complete. Following this learning experience I started to work with senior citizens at the Immanuel Campus of Care in Peoria AZ. My plan was to help these members of our community became more active. Every day for several weeks I would help them get up and move taking walks and exercising. I had several challenges to this plan but I was determined to make a difference. I learned that there are some people who do not want to be helped, but it should not stop us from trying. The other flaw to my plan was that I never had an exit strategy in place for when I needed to return to school. I had hoped that the staff would continue what I had started but there was never any solid confirmation that they would. Sadly, I was unable to continue helping once I returned to school. I am not sure if I made a difference to anyone, but I hope I did.