NR 442 Exam 1 Study Guide (Questions) With
Complete Solutions
What is Public Health?
Definition
-Science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting
health through organized community efforts.
Core Components
-Living conditions & environment
-Environmental sanitation
-Personal hygiene education
-Preventive care (immunizations, screenings)
-Policy development
-Control of communicable infections
Five Leading Causes of Premature Death (U.S.)
-Heart disease
-Cancer
-Chronic lower respiratory disease
-Stroke
-Unintentional injuries
👉 Up to 40% are preventable via lifestyle & behavior modification.
Key Definitions: Health, Community, Population
Health (WHO)
-State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just absence of
disease.
Social Health
-Strength of a community to collaborate to prevent illness & promote wellness.
Community
-Group sharing geography, interests, values, or goals.
Population
-Group with common personal or environmental characteristics.
-Aggregates = subgroups within a population (e.g., teens with asthma).
Determinants of Health (Know the Categories)
Individual Determinants
-Age, gender
-Diet & physical activity
-Substance use
-Family history
Social Determinants
-Social norms/attitudes
-Media exposure
,-Socioeconomic status
-Quality education
-Transportation
-Public safety
-Residential segregation
Socioeconomic/Cultural/Environmental
-Food production
-Education & work environment
-Housing
-Water/sanitation
-Toxin exposure
Health Services
-Cost
-Access & availability
-Insurance coverage
-Language barriers
Policy
-Local, state, federal policies that shape health (e.g., insurance law, housing policy).
Healthy People 2030 — Big Goals
1. Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease.
2. Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities.
3. Create social & physical environments that promote health.
4. Promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life
stages.
Objective Types
-Core: High priority, evidence-based.
-Developmental: Not enough baseline data yet.
-Research: High burden, no proven interventions yet.
Progress labels: Target Met, Improving, No Change, Baseline Only, Getting Worse.
Community & Public Health Nursing Roles
Historical Roots
-Florence Nightingale:
**Used community assessment & statistics → foundation of PHN.
**Focused on all soldiers & their environment.
**Kept careful records and linked interventions to decreased mortality.
Modern Roles
-Clinical care
-Population health & epidemiology
-Policy advocacy
-Telenursing
-Research & education
Core PHN Focus Areas
-Assessment – collect/analyze community health data
-Policy Development – create health-supporting policies
-Assurance – ensure access to services & resources
, 👉 Unique goal of community/public health nursing: striving for social
betterment (including social & political activism), not just direct care.
Levels of Prevention (Public Health Version)
Primary Prevention – Prevent before it happens
-Health promotion & specific protection
-Examples:
**Immunizations
**Seatbelts
**Nutrition & exercise education
**Smoking-cessation programs
Secondary Prevention – Detect early, treat early
-Disease is already present (even if asymptomatic)
-Examples:
**STI tests
**Mammograms, colonoscopies
**Cholesterol, vision, hearing screenings
Tertiary Prevention – Limit complications & restore function
-Rehab & disability prevention
-Examples:
**Cardiac rehab
**Diabetes self-management teaching
**AA meetings
**Palliative care
� Test tip:
-Primary = prevent
-Secondary = screen/treat
-Tertiary = restore/rehab
Upstream Thinking
-Focus = prevent problems before they occur (fix the source).
-Contrast: Downstream = treat established illness.
-Guides nurses to proactive, prevention-focused interventions.
Public Health Structure (Who Does What?)
-Global: WHO
-Federal (U.S.): HHS, CDC
-State: State Departments of Health
-Local: County health departments, local clinics
3 Pillars of Population Health
1. Clinical Care – direct patient treatment
2. Public Health – population-based services (disease control, food safety)
3. Public Policy – laws/legislation influencing education, housing, healthcare access
Epidemiology Essentials (Applied)
Definition: Study of distribution & determinants of health events in populations.
Key Public Health Functions
-Surveillance:
**Ongoing data collection, analysis, & dissemination.
**Tracks morbidity, mortality, trends.
Complete Solutions
What is Public Health?
Definition
-Science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting
health through organized community efforts.
Core Components
-Living conditions & environment
-Environmental sanitation
-Personal hygiene education
-Preventive care (immunizations, screenings)
-Policy development
-Control of communicable infections
Five Leading Causes of Premature Death (U.S.)
-Heart disease
-Cancer
-Chronic lower respiratory disease
-Stroke
-Unintentional injuries
👉 Up to 40% are preventable via lifestyle & behavior modification.
Key Definitions: Health, Community, Population
Health (WHO)
-State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just absence of
disease.
Social Health
-Strength of a community to collaborate to prevent illness & promote wellness.
Community
-Group sharing geography, interests, values, or goals.
Population
-Group with common personal or environmental characteristics.
-Aggregates = subgroups within a population (e.g., teens with asthma).
Determinants of Health (Know the Categories)
Individual Determinants
-Age, gender
-Diet & physical activity
-Substance use
-Family history
Social Determinants
-Social norms/attitudes
-Media exposure
,-Socioeconomic status
-Quality education
-Transportation
-Public safety
-Residential segregation
Socioeconomic/Cultural/Environmental
-Food production
-Education & work environment
-Housing
-Water/sanitation
-Toxin exposure
Health Services
-Cost
-Access & availability
-Insurance coverage
-Language barriers
Policy
-Local, state, federal policies that shape health (e.g., insurance law, housing policy).
Healthy People 2030 — Big Goals
1. Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease.
2. Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities.
3. Create social & physical environments that promote health.
4. Promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life
stages.
Objective Types
-Core: High priority, evidence-based.
-Developmental: Not enough baseline data yet.
-Research: High burden, no proven interventions yet.
Progress labels: Target Met, Improving, No Change, Baseline Only, Getting Worse.
Community & Public Health Nursing Roles
Historical Roots
-Florence Nightingale:
**Used community assessment & statistics → foundation of PHN.
**Focused on all soldiers & their environment.
**Kept careful records and linked interventions to decreased mortality.
Modern Roles
-Clinical care
-Population health & epidemiology
-Policy advocacy
-Telenursing
-Research & education
Core PHN Focus Areas
-Assessment – collect/analyze community health data
-Policy Development – create health-supporting policies
-Assurance – ensure access to services & resources
, 👉 Unique goal of community/public health nursing: striving for social
betterment (including social & political activism), not just direct care.
Levels of Prevention (Public Health Version)
Primary Prevention – Prevent before it happens
-Health promotion & specific protection
-Examples:
**Immunizations
**Seatbelts
**Nutrition & exercise education
**Smoking-cessation programs
Secondary Prevention – Detect early, treat early
-Disease is already present (even if asymptomatic)
-Examples:
**STI tests
**Mammograms, colonoscopies
**Cholesterol, vision, hearing screenings
Tertiary Prevention – Limit complications & restore function
-Rehab & disability prevention
-Examples:
**Cardiac rehab
**Diabetes self-management teaching
**AA meetings
**Palliative care
� Test tip:
-Primary = prevent
-Secondary = screen/treat
-Tertiary = restore/rehab
Upstream Thinking
-Focus = prevent problems before they occur (fix the source).
-Contrast: Downstream = treat established illness.
-Guides nurses to proactive, prevention-focused interventions.
Public Health Structure (Who Does What?)
-Global: WHO
-Federal (U.S.): HHS, CDC
-State: State Departments of Health
-Local: County health departments, local clinics
3 Pillars of Population Health
1. Clinical Care – direct patient treatment
2. Public Health – population-based services (disease control, food safety)
3. Public Policy – laws/legislation influencing education, housing, healthcare access
Epidemiology Essentials (Applied)
Definition: Study of distribution & determinants of health events in populations.
Key Public Health Functions
-Surveillance:
**Ongoing data collection, analysis, & dissemination.
**Tracks morbidity, mortality, trends.
