The primary level of health promotion is geared towards enhancing health through education. The nurses take on an active role in educating patients and their families of risk factors that may contribute to various diseases and disabilities. Nurses should also educate patients on immunizations against pathogens, and ways for decreasing susceptibility against preventable conditions. Nurses can play a vital part in educating patients on dietary and activity modifications to help control and reduce the risk of developing diseases such as coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity. According to one journal “Incorporating evidence-based practice into the clinical setting is necessary if maximum patient outcomes are to be achieved” (Mann, K. 2011). It is important to create awareness of the affects of biological, environmental, and psychological stressors that may impact a persons health and wellbeing. Nurses are responsible for assessing a persons risk factors and providing evidence based education to help promote patients to lead a healthier lifestyle. It is important that healthcare providers provide the necessary information to help patients take a more active role in their health and lifestyle habits (Edelman, C., 2010).
The aim of primary health promotion is to provide education to the community on ways to decrease risk factors that may lead to illness. The secondary level of health promotion is geared toward encouraging healthy lifestyle habits such as; screening and diagnostic tests to help identify medical conditions in an early detectable stages (Edelman, C., 2010). One of the advantages of screening is that it often allows for less invasive forms of testing and treatment to be implemented. Glucose tolerance test, and hemoglobin A1C are two examples of screening that can be performed to help identify a person at risk for being diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (Caple, C., 2013). Diabetes Mellitus is a major concern across the nation, and if poorly managed may lead to many serious complications. Early screening allows for an important opportunity to make lifestyle modifications, to help reduce risk and possible reversal of this diagnosis. A nurse can play a key role in educating patients on reducing dietary intake of foods high in