What does secondary prevention in nursing focus on?

Secondary prevention in nursing focuses on early detection and management of diseases to limit their impact on an individual’s health. This level of prevention is critical because it aims to identify health issues at an early stage when they are often more treatable or manageable. Screening tests, regular check-ups, and monitoring high-risk populations are key activities within this scope. The goal is to prevent complications or more severe outcomes associated with diseases that may already be present but not yet diagnosed.

While long-term health care management is an important aspect of overall health care, it pertains more to tertiary prevention, which addresses ongoing health issues. Promotion of healthy lifestyle choices is linked to primary prevention, which seeks to prevent diseases from occurring in the first place. Emergency response in healthcare is related to acute care and trauma, rather than the proactive strategies associated with secondary prevention. Thus, the emphasis in secondary prevention is undeniably on the early identification and management of diseases.