The word “environment” describes the different external factors that affect the epidemiologic epidemic. Environmental elements, in addition to the host and the infectious agent, contribute to the spread of the illness. The environmental variables that contribute to the transmission of HIV/AIDS include places with a high frequency of sexually transmitted infections and poor levels of reporting (Dumais, 2017). Situations like this promote the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Socioeconomic variables, such as poverty, also contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS since they make it harder to get the essential therapy. Another thing that deters people from enrolling in testing and treatment programs is when people with HIV/AIDS experience stigma or social isolation (Dumais, 2017). They are to blame for the increased pace of the disease’s population-wide spread as a direct consequence of this.
Role of the Community Health Nurse
Community health nurses have a number of roles in the epidemiological treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. One of the responsibilities involved is case discovery. The search for cases entails looking for those who have had HIV/AIDS as well as those who are at risk. The community health nurse conducts population screens in order to find the patients. She also outlines the susceptible groups, which might include those who are transgender, misuse alcohol or drugs, have several sex partners, or participate in unprotected sexual activity, such as those who work in the sex industry (Mottiar& Lodge, 2018). The nurse educates the vulnerable population on HIV/AIDS prevention strategies as well as the need of being screened and starting treatment for cases as soon as they are found.
A case that has been detected must also be reported to the proper authorities by the community health nurse. To correctly estimate the prevalence, incidence, and severity of HIV/AIDS in a specific community, data must be gathered and reported. The information is useful in figuring out how to best provide the people with resources linked to HIV/AIDS. The nurse is also in charge of gathering information on HIV/AIDS in the general community (Knettel et al., 2021). The information provided by the data provided insights on the severity, prevalence, and trends of the illness in the community. In order to provide a true picture of the illness pattern, distribution, and burden throughout the community, the nurse will do an analysis on the data that was gathered. The nurse will also share the studied data with the general public, healthcare professionals, and public health authorities in an effort to motivate individuals to take action. Presenting results to communities, publishing findings in journals, presenting findings at conferences, and creating new policies based on study findings are all examples of effective dissemination tactics. Additionally, the community health nurse is in charge of case follow-up. Follow-up is conducted to make sure infected individuals continue to take their medications as directed and to look for any additional needs that could affect the outcome of treatment (Knettel et al., 2021). As a consequence, community health nurses must play a crucial role in the epidemiological treatment of HIV/AIDS.
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