Health Issues Distinctive to Women
Course #93314 - $90 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Health issues distinctive to women encompass all of the dimensions in which a woman interacts with herself and her environment—mind, body, and spirit. This course will include information on healthy lifestyle behaviors, risk factors, and interventions for common health issues in women. Major health promotion issues and treatment in the care of women, including sexual and reproductive health, gynecologic cancers, perimenopause and menopause, breast care, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and psychological health will be highlighted. While men may also experience some of these conditions, the course will focus on distinct aspects for women. Health choices and actions reflect the individual's place in her world, including her cultural, social, and spiritual perspective. These beliefs will form the basis for her actualization of health choices. Nurses and other health professionals are in a position to understand the complexity of women's health beliefs and behaviors and to assume leadership positions in health promotion, primary care, primary prevention, and treatment of women and their families.
- INTRODUCTION
- WOMEN'S HEALTH AND HEALTH PROMOTION
- SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
- GYNECOLOGIC HEALTH
- GYNECOLOGIC CANCERS
- MENARCHE TO PERIMENOPAUSAL YEARS
- PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE AS NORMAL LIFE EVENTS
- BREAST HEALTH AND BREAST CANCER
- CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
- EXERCISE AND NUTRITION
- OSTEOPOROSIS
- HEALTH ISSUES FOR TRANSWOMEN
- PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH
- HEALTH DISPARITIES OF WOMEN OF COLOR
- COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES
- HEALTH CARE ACROSS A WOMAN'S LIFESPAN
- CONCLUSION
- Works Cited
- Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations Citations
This course is designed for nurses and other healthcare professionals involved in improving health outcomes for women.
The purpose of this course is to provide healthcare professionals with updated information related to issues surrounding women across the lifespan to facilitate thorough and appropriate care.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Consider factors that may influence access to and quality of health services for women, including economic, cultural, and demographic issues.
- Review the historical and current context of the inclusion of women in health research.
- Review gender-specific health theories and models.
- Compare and contrast the presentation of sexually transmitted infections in men and women.
- Explain communication skills that foster a non-judgmental attitude regarding sexual activity.
- Identify issues related to gynecologic health, including the recommended Pap screening schedules.
- Discuss the risk factors for cervical cancer and the holistic therapeutic plan of care for a woman with gynecologic cancer.
- Define menarche, perimenopause, and menopause, and identify care issues that may arise in these life stages.
- Discuss the risks, benefits, and contraindications for hormone replacement therapy.
- Discuss various health promotion and pharmacologic options for women experiencing menopause.
- Discuss recommendations regarding breast cancer screening.
- Identify the various factors that should be considered when making treatment choices for women with breast cancer.
- Compare and contrast gender differences in women and men with cardiovascular disease.
- Explain the relationship between a balanced diet and exercise to maintain health across the lifespan.
- List the risk factors and treatment and screening guidelines for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
- Discuss osteoporosis risk factors and the risks, benefits, and side effects of the common medications used in the treatment of the disease.
- Discuss common mental health issues in women's health, including depression and domestic violence.
- Review culturally specific risk factors and health disparities for women of color.
- Identify complementary therapies, including those that have been effective in various women's health issues, such as cancer, heart disease, and menopause.
- Review health screening guidelines and immunization recommendations for women across the lifespan.
Gayle Roux, PhD, RN, CNS, FNP, received her BSN from University of Nebraska, and her MS and PhD in Nursing from Texas Women's University. She has been employed in various aspects of women's care including childbearing, family planning, and women's health. Currently, she practices as a family nurse practitioner and is faculty at University of North Dakota. Dr. Roux's area of research is focused on inner strength in women living with chronic health conditions such as breast cancer. She lives in Dallas, Texas, and has two daughters. Dr. Roux enjoys cross-country skiing, traveling, and reading mystery stories.
Contributing faculty, Gayle Roux, PhD, RN, CNS, FNP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Mary Franks, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Alice Yick Flanagan, PhD, MSW
The division planners have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.