Advanced Professional Nurse as Advocate This heading is for section A of your paper. Youll need to complete this section. A. Discuss how two of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) advanced-level Domain 3 competencies guide the advanced professional nurse to improve population health. Include one example for each competency in the discussion. Interprofessional Professionalism Assessment Section B: For this section, youll want to identify and discuss the six sections of the assessment. Then provide a summary of each topic along with one of your personal strengths and one personal area you could approve upon for each topic. Image Interprofessional professionalism is essential for advancing the quality of care and the overall health of populations, as advanced-level nurse practitioners. Teamwork and decision-making are achieved through open communication among nursing professionals, other healthcare providers, and the public; this fosters a collaborative environment and allows providers to share clinical experiences (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2020). As teamwork occurs through clear, respectful, and consistent communication, the interprofessional team’s ability to coordinate their care delivery and achieve better population-level outcomes improves. Respect among interprofessionals and respect for others’ expertise create an environment that strengthens collaboration and builds trust across disciplines. The ethical conduct of nursing will assist in the ethical application of nursing by ensuring that nursing practitioners meet the needs of the communities they serve, particularly those with health disparities (AACN, 2021), through a commitment to accountability for ones actions. As a result of the above occurrences, new advanced practitioners have had the opportunity to grow professionally and develop more assertively in promoting changes to policies and systems that affect population health (DeNisco, 2023). Interprofessional Team Development. Section C: for this section you want to clearly identify each stage of team development like you did in the CPE forming, storming, norming, etc. Then identify a specific strategy you would implement for each stage. The development of interprofessional teams takes time, and advanced practice nurses are integral to their formation. The initial stage of team development is when nurses help establish common population health goals and clarify each member’s role. Nurses contribute to fostering transparency and facilitating the respectful resolution of differences arising from differing priorities or perspectives among team members, thereby promoting collaborative working relationships. As the interprofessional team develops, advanced practice nurses will assist the team in developing evidence-based practices and utilizing shared accountability (DeNisco, 2023). Nurses’ ability to lead high-performing teams that review the effectiveness of population health strategies using data will enable adjustments to practice based on outcome evidence. Teams that engage in reflective practices after completing activities will gain insights into their team behavior, benefiting future collaboration and advocacy (DeNisco, 2023). SDOH Summaries The social determinants of health are the conditions under which people live, work, learn, and interact socially. The social determinants of health have a major impact on health outcomes. For example, an individual’s economic stability influences their ability to access food, housing, and healthcare; thus, financially insecure people have a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses. Furthermore, the availability and quality of educational opportunities affect an individual’s ability to develop health literacy and their healthy behavior throughout their life. An individual’s ability to access healthcare services will also largely depend on their ability to access high-quality care. Therefore, the quality of environmental factors (such as housing and public transportation) within a neighborhood, or built environment, can be improved to create new opportunities to engage in physical activity and reduce the risk of developing health problems associated with environmental factors. Additionally, stress and mental health depend on an individual’s social and community context (e.g., discrimination, social support). Overall, the individual social determinants of health affect population health and contribute to health inequities (CDC, 2023). SDOH Improvements Communities need to implement well-organized, policy-based efforts and awareness-based efforts related to social determinants of health. Support employment and income; increase living wage/financial stability; Create, expand access to education; Increase access to community health education/adult education programs to assist individuals in making appropriate health decisions; Increase access to primary care (through community clinics/mobile healthcare initiatives) and improve quality of care; Support safe housing and transportation for others in the community thereby fostering social networking within the community, decreasing community members’ chances of being victimized. Create programs that increase community trust, promote diversity, and reduce discrimination to enhance social connections among community members. Addressing any one (or more) of the social determinants will help to reduce health disparities and promote health equity (CDC, 2023). Examples of Health Equity Section E: Youll need at least two health equity policies, programs, or initiative for this section. E. Discuss two examples using two different sources (one source per example) of how health equity was addressed in a local, state, or national health policy, program, or initiative. Programs run by CDC at the National level to advance health equity are the key mechanism through which CDC addresses health disparities caused by chronic diseases, working with communities to consider social and structural determinants of health (CDC, 2024). At the state level, California has launched a new initiative called Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal, which integrates healthcare with other social services, such as housing and nutrition. The purpose of this initiative is to serve low-income populations and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities by linking medical care to social services (California Department of Health Care Services, 2023). Health Concerns of the Population. Section F: You will need data (numbers) in this section that shows that hypertension is a concern in your area and the data shows or supports what you are saying in this section. Hypertension is a significant public health and wellness problem affecting the people of Baltimore, Maryland. A large number of adults in Baltimore are hypertensive, placing them at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Both local and national statistics substantiate that Baltimore has a higher prevalence of fatal heart disease and hypertension than the national average, specifically among Black adults, providing evidence of health inequities existing within this population. Some major contributors to these statistics are economic instability, lack of access to preventative medical care, and chronic stress levels. The CDC also states that chronic structural injustices may contribute to inaccurate blood pressure management among underserved populations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023). Recommendation Section G: Be sure you are using at least 2 sources to support your recommendation for this section. G. Discuss an evidence-based policy, program, or initiative recommendation to improve the identified population health issue, concern, or behavior in part F. Support the discussion with at least two sources. A nurse-led mobile screening and education program for hypertension in underserved neighborhoods throughout Baltimore is an evidence-based intervention. By providing blood pressure screenings at locations regularly frequented by community members, including churches, community centers, and residences, studies have shown that community-based interventions can improve blood pressure control and promote regular use of health care services. Nurses may also provide education to help patients manage their health and well-being by controlling their weight through dietary modifications and exercise. They may also provide medication management support. The mobile outreach services will help remove barriers, such as transportation and a lack of health facilities, that currently prevent residents from accessing medical services. This strategy will help provide equitable health care outcomes and reduce disparities in hypertension care (Mills et al., 2020). Public Leader The identified individual who should be involved in promoting this initiative is Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott. He is the mayor with jurisdiction over public health priorities and city-wide programs. This is through his position, where he can contribute to funding decisions that support community health programs. He collaborates closely with the Baltimore City Health Department and other agencies. This post helps him promote cooperation in sectors. He is significant for his leadership in promoting population health programs. Public Leader Choice Explanation. Given that Mayor Brandon M. Scott leads the health equity effort in Baltimore, he has greater authority than any other mayor before him to enact this initiative. His focus has been on reducing health disparities among people living in underserved communities. Through his authority, he can mobilize the public health department, community organizations, and geographically based affiliates to coordinate all activities required to implement, operate, and sustain mobile health programs. The mayor’s ability to build consensus with community members will also help him secure funding for mobile health programs. The appointment of an effective city leader should be based on their influence and commitment to the initiative, as well as their likelihood of achieving long-term, sustainable success relative to others. References American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. California Department of Health Care Services. (2023). California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Social determinants of health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Health equity and chronic disease. DeNisco, S. M. (2023). Advanced practice nursing: Essential knowledge for the profession. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Mills, K. T., Stefanescu, A., & He, J. (2020). The global epidemiology of hypertension. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 16(4), 223237.