Urban Health: A Practical Application for Clinical Based Learning
Cynthera McNeill, Detroit, MI
Umeika Stephens, Detroit, MI
Tara Walker, Detroit, MI
Copyright Year: 2022
ISBN 13: 9798985775419
Publisher: Wayne State University Library System
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-NonCommercial
CC BY-NC
Reviews
This book is comprehensive and informative. In addition to a Table of Contents that provides a breakdown of each chapter, a section titled "About the Book" follows the Table of Contents. I found this helpful when considering ways to utilize the... read more
This book is comprehensive and informative. In addition to a Table of Contents that provides a breakdown of each chapter, a section titled "About the Book" follows the Table of Contents. I found this helpful when considering ways to utilize the book in a Community Health nursing course. By stating the goals of the book, I was able to correlate objectives of the class to the book. The "About the Book" section also includes "key Learning Features" and "Chapter Composition." Both sections helped provide an overview for setting up a class schedule and assignments. Only suggestion might be to add some practice questions at the end of each chapter to reinforce learning of terminology and objectives.
The content is relevant and corresponds with other textbooks that I have used. The main goal of discussing provision of health care in urban areas is clearly met. There are no glaring errors and the text is supported by statistical data and research studies from professional sources.
This text is as up-to-date as a book can be. It includes recent (2019 - 2021) research study results and incorporates the impact of Covid-19. It will be easy to update as studies evolve and new information is presented. Any charts or graphs will be easy to replace as research continues.
The authors did a good job providing definitions for much of the terminology. The definitions for terms like "urban population", "social determinates", and "medically underserved populations" are just three examples of how the authors clearly defined terms. All abbreviations (HPSAs, MUPs, SDOH) are clearly defined.
If I had any suggestion for improving clarity, it would be to change the title to amore descriptive one. At first glance, I did not think this book would be relevant to my practice. After reading it, every chapter was relevant to the Community-based class that I teach.
This text carries the theme of health care in the Urban setting through every chapter. Each chapter develops a different element related to health care disparities and the underlying causes. It includes examples, research results and practical points for providers who are working in urban settings. By the last chapter, the reader has gained a strong foundation for understanding the urban population and for providing care in this arena.
The book is easy to read. It is written with well defined chapters broken into manageable paragraphs. The Learning Assignments would be easy to assign, both individually and as groups projects. A student would easily be able to read a section and then reference another textbook and find congruency.
The book is organized into 7 chapters, each with Learning Objectives and subunits found in that chapter. Each chapter includes either an Exemplar or Case Study. Learning Activities are provided at the end of every chapter. Additionally, there is a summary a the end of the chapter of what was covered in that chapter. The book is easy to navigate and to locate information. It flows in an orderly manner and incorporates previous concepts into each chapter that follows.
I did not experience any interface errors or problems with navigation. The charts in the text were useful, easy to read and they highlighted pertinent data. The authors clearly spent time choosing relevant charts to insert. The hyperlinks worked well and took the reader to material that expanded on the subject of each chapter. I noted that these hyperlinks would make good activities for Discussion Boards or group projects.
No grammatical errors were noted. Proper sentence structure and punctuation were seen throughout the book. I found it easy to read in spite of higher level terminology needed to present the subject.
The text is not culturally insensitive, but just the opposite. It focuses mainly on African American's in Detroit, but is easily transferable to other Urban areas which may have different cultures. Additionally, many of the links include data related to Hispanic and Asian cultures, not just African American. The book addresses providing health care in urban areas to all people, not just African American.
While I was not drawn in by the title of the book, I will definitely be using the content in a Community-based nursing course. All the information provided is accurate and spot on when it comes to health care disparities and what social, economic, physical and psychosocial elements are at play.
Table of Contents
- About the Book
- Acknowledgments
- About the Authors
- About the Contributors
- Foreword
- Chapter 1. Defining Urban Health in the Inner City
- Chapter 2. Clinician Preparation for Urban Health Practice
- Chapter 3. Social Determinants of Health in Urban Communities
- Chapter 4. Health Care in the Inner City: Primary Care Perspective
- Chapter 5. Mental Health Disparities in Urban Communities: Impact of Urban Living on Mental Health
- Chapter 6. Tertiary Patient Management
- Chapter 7. Urban Health Disparities and the COVID 19 Pandemic: The Perfect Storm
- Appendix: Examining and addressing COVID-19 racial disparities in Detroit
Ancillary Material
Submit ancillary resourceAbout the Book
Urban Health: A Practical Application for Clinical Based Learning is an openly licensed, peer-reviewed textbook for clinical-based nursing educators covering barriers in urban health and their impact on patient health outcomes. The authors explore perspectives of urban communities, urban patients, and urban healthcare providers to offer insight into how healthcare providers can address disparities in urban healthcare, provide meaningful care with the lived experiences of urban patients in mind, and improve patient-provider communication by moving towards a more solution-driven, team-based care approach. Features include learning activities, exemplars, and case studies.
About the Contributors
Authors
Dr. Cynthera McNeill is an assistant clinical professor and clinical coordinator for the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program at Wayne State University. Dr. McNeill holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Wayne State University and is nationally certified as an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. She has worked as a primary care provider at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in Detroit, Michigan, serving the uninsured/low-insured patient population, and is currently employed as an Internal Medicine provider for a large urban healthcare system in Detroit, Michigan. Her primary focus as a nurse practitioner has been in the field of primary care/chronic disease management for adults, with emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention in urban communities. Her research centers on the utilization of evidence-based, culturally sensitive interventions to decrease health disparities among at-risk populations. As a product of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. McNeill is committed to improving health outcomes and addressing health disparities in urban communities.
Dr. Umeika Stephens is a dual-certified family and psychiatric nurse practitioner focused on the provision of holistic patient-centered mental health care. As a Detroit native she is acutely aware of healthcare needs in the community and the disparities impacting patients’ access to culturally sensitive services. Dr. Stephens has worked as a nurse practitioner for over 25 years providing for psychopharmacologic management and supportive therapy. Her areas of expertise are integrated care, substance abuse, mental health issues secondary to chronic medical illness, caregiver role stress/ coping, and women’s mental health issues. Dr. Stephens is also a clinical assistant professor at Wayne State University where she oversees the psychiatric nurse practitioner program.
Dr. Tara Walker is an assistant clinical professor at Wayne State University College of Nursing and a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner in internal medicine at a local Detroit hospital. Dr. Walker holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Wayne State University. Dr. Walker’s 24 years of nursing experience includes medical, surgical, emergency, administration, cardiology, and internal medicine. Her areas of expertise include reduction strategies in length of stay, improvement in throughput, nursing professional development, and nurse mentoring. Dr. Walker incorporates her administrative and clinical experience to combat barriers to implementing evidence-based practice in urban environments. Her foundational principle for every project starts with patient-centered, high-quality, cost-effective care. She belongs to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners, and Sigma Theta Tau.