Asset-based Approach to Health Improvement

Explain the meaning of an asset-based approach to health improvement.

  • Provide an example of how positive resources available to individuals and communities enable them to gain more control over their lives and circumstances.
  • Describe two to three implications for nursing practice including the cultural aspects.

Read other students’ posts and respond to at least two of them by Friday at 11:59pm MT.

As part of your response to your peers’ posts, provide your peers the two to three implications to nursing you wrote about in your primary response and share why you chose the implications you did.

Use your personal experience, if it’s relevant, to support or debate other students’ posts. If differences of opinion occur, debate the issues professionally and provide examples to support opinions.

Cite any sources in APA format

asset-based approach to health improvement

An asset-based approach to health improvement refers to an approach that focuses on identifying and leveraging the strengths and resources of individuals, families, and communities to promote health and well-being. This approach recognizes that positive resources, including social, economic, and cultural factors, play a critical role in enabling individuals and communities to gain more control over their lives and circumstances. In this essay, I will explain the meaning of an asset-based approach to health improvement, provide an example of positive resources available to individuals and communities, and describe two to three implications for nursing practice, including cultural aspects.

The asset-based approach to health improvement emphasizes the importance of focusing on the assets and strengths of individuals, families, and communities, rather than solely on their deficits and weaknesses. It recognizes that positive resources, including social support networks, community cohesion, and cultural factors, can play a critical role in promoting health and well-being. This approach is rooted in the belief that everyone has strengths and resources that can be leveraged to improve health outcomes, and that by building on these strengths, individuals and communities can become more resilient and better able to cope with the challenges they face.

An example of positive resources available to individuals and communities that can enable them to gain more control over their lives and circumstances is social support networks. Social support networks are the people in an individual’s life who provide emotional, informational, and practical support when needed. These networks can include family members, friends, neighbors, and community organizations. Research has shown that social support networks can have a significant impact on health outcomes, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases and improving mental health. By building and strengthening social support networks, individuals and communities can increase their resilience and ability to cope with challenges and adversity.

There are several implications for nursing practice in adopting an asset-based approach to health improvement. Firstly, nurses need to adopt a strengths-based perspective when working with patients and communities, focusing on their assets and resources rather than their deficits and weaknesses. Secondly, nurses need to work collaboratively with patients and communities to identify and leverage their strengths and resources in promoting health and well-being. Finally, nurses need to recognize and value the cultural assets and resources of patients and communities and incorporate these into their practice.

In conclusion, the asset-based approach to health improvement is a strengths-based approach that recognizes the importance of positive resources, including social, economic, and cultural factors, in promoting health and well-being. By building on these strengths and resources, individuals and communities can become more resilient and better able to cope with the challenges they face. For nursing practice, this approach requires adopting a strengths-based perspective, working collaboratively with patients and communities, and recognizing and valuing the cultural assets and resources of patients and communities.

References:

Daigneault, I., Hébert, R., & Dubois, M. F. (2016). Assets and challenges for healthy living in Nunavik: Perspectives from Nunavik Inuit adults. BMC public health, 16(1), 163.

Wong, Y. J., Owen, J., Gabana, N. T., Brown, J. W., McInnis, S., Toth, P., & Gilman, L. (2018). Does gratitude writing improve the mental health of psychotherapy clients? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy Research, 28(2), 192-202.

Scroll to Top