Critical thinking on probabilities in healthcare

One manner in which probability is used in public health practice is determining whether or not the risks outweigh the benefits in receiving a flu vaccine. The risks include flu-like symptoms and pain in the injection area. The benefits include better resistance to certain strains of the flu. This would influence individuals in the clinical setting in determining if the current flu vaccine is going to be beneficial for the clients in the clinical atmosphere. The problems could result if there is a flu epidemic and the clients were not treated with the vaccine. As the flu would spread throughout the inpatient client population, outpatients and staff would also be affected, spreading the flu to those that they encounter outside of the clinical setting.
Medical doctors and pharmacists have minimal time contact with the clients and thus are less likely to incur the flu from them or give the flu to the clients. Therapists and nurses would be spending more time with the clients and therefore are more likely to either spread flu symptoms with the clients or incur the flu from them. This being the case, it is also important for staff such as therapists and nurses to receive flu vaccines as well.
Nurses and nurse practitioners traditionally spend more time in direct care contact with the clients that they serve. In a close physical setting, such as a clinic, it is essential to practice good preventive practices to lessen the occurrence of germs and diseases being spread through the client and staff populations. This being the case, it is important to use preventative practices, such as vaccines, to try and keep both the staff and patient populations as healthy as possible.

References

Maverick Health. (2012). Retrieved from What is the difference between a physician and a nurse practioner?: http://www. maverickhealth. com/faq/nurse/582/
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2013, September 24). Retrieved from 6 Things to Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practioner: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/tips/selecting