Question

Which nursing action best exemplifies the nurse's role in promoting health?

1) encouraging a group of junior high school students to engage in regular physical activity
2) facilitating a support group for the friends and families of clients affected by stroke
3) performing deep suctioning on a client who has a tracheotomy and copious secretions
4) administering a β-adrenergic blocker and diuretic to a client who has a history of hypertension

Answer 1

The best action exemplifying the nurse's role in promoting health is encouraging junior high school students to engage in regular physical activity, which is a preventive measure that fosters long-term healthy habits.

Step-by-step explanation:

The action that best exemplifies the nurse's role in promoting health is encouraging a group of junior high school students to engage in regular physical activity. This action is preventive and aims to foster long-term health benefits through lifestyle choices, which aligns with key aspects of health promotion. Health promotion involves enabling individuals and communities to increase control over their health and its determinants. Physical activity, being a controllable health factor, helps in multiple areas such as improving circulation, breathing, and overall physical and mental health. On the contrary, the other options provided represent acute care, disease treatment, and support after a health incident has occurred, which are important but not primarily health-promoting actions. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to identify and define critical problems and barriers of health, and to explore strategies to design sustainable health education and disease prevention interventions leading to better health. By encouraging juniors to exercise regularly, the nurse is contributing to the development of healthy habits during a critical developmental stage.