Holy Family University
School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions
204
Levels of Prevention
Primary
Prevent incidence of disease
Promote self-responsibility
Health promotion and protection against illness
Decrease stress
Improve the environment
Nurse also seen as role model
Examples – immunizations, accident prevention (wearing helmets for biking, skate
boarding, etc), dental care and teaching about care for the teeth, poison control and
prevention, family planning
Secondary
Preventing the spread of disease, illness, or infection once it occurs
Health maintenance and disease prevention
Prompt care for illness/disease
Examples – nursing interventions for hospitalized patients  care, treatments, range of
motion (ROM) exercises, medications, growth and development assessment, Self-breast
examination (SBE), encouraging regular health and dental screenings, mammography,
self-testicular examination (STE)
Tertiary
Minimize the effects of long-term disease or disability
Irreversible damage has occurred; rehabilitation to reach maximum level of
functioning
Teach the patient and family to adapt to changes
Promote environmental adaptations/changes to enhance the patient’s abilities
Examples – Strokes (cerebrovascular accidents (CVA); cancers; spinal cord
injuries (SCI), Diabetes related ie- toe amputation
Potter and Perry Table 6.1 page 74
ATI page 86