Community health nursing is a vocation; striving to improve the health of the community by promoting, stabilizing and protecting the health of individuals, families and identified aggregates. We are able to have the furthest reach when we can isolate a specific deficit of an aggregate through assessment and subsequently the development of a community support program. Community support programs promote health, access to services and self-advocacy.
Aggregate
I have identified the aging population (greater than 55 years of age) in Chatham/Kent, Ontario (in a community I am familiar and work within); a population on the rise and with minimal government and Ministry of Health support that enables seniors to maintain quality of life,
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Staffing – recruitment and training of a volunteer base (at no additional cost).
Approach
The “Seniors’ on a Path to Fitness” program would use the behavioral or lifestyle approach. The Lalonde Report was the first time the national government made a significant statement in relation to the importance of health promotion as a key strategy for improving the health of a population (Stamler & Yiu, 2012). Health promotion encourages the adoption of behaviours or lifestyles that promote functional ability and well-being; undoubtedly in line with the goal and objectives of the proposed program. There is a clear focus on disease and disability prevention with behavioral or lifestyle risk factors. The principal strategies that encompass the behavioural or lifestyle approach include: health education, health communication, social marketing, behaviour modification and regulatory measures. These tactics would be applied throughout the planning and implementation of the program.
Collaboration
Collaboration is the essence of community health practice (Vollman, Anderson, & McFarlane, 2012, pg. 292). Collaboration prevents duplication of effort, creating more publicity and credibility than accomplished alone and achieving maximum power on health promotion. Collaborators within the “Seniors’ on
This paper will explore a community health concern from a population focused nursing perspective. The health concern will be a relevant and validated health concern for the community indicated. The relevancy was determined by the Health People 2020 (HP2020) health indicators and the validation of the concern was compared to past objectives being met and current objectives working forward, and the gap in satisfying the target goals set forth ("2020 Topics & Objectives – Objectives A-Z | Healthy People 2020," 2015). A major force in the community of concern is the Kern County Public Health
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2012). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (8th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby Elsev
Community health nurses incorporate community participation and knowledge about the total population with personal, clinical understandings of the
Nies, M., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier Saunders.
I view Community/Population Nursing “As an extension of public health that includes organized health care services to the community through public and private agencies in addition to government agencies” (Nies & McEwen, 2015, p.). Community/population nursing implements the Core Functions of Public Health (assessment, assurance, and policy development) by integrating their clinical knowledge and their understanding of the entire population and its health and illnesses and communicates that knowledge to health planners and policy makers. Nurses promote public health through nursing interventions, programs, and advocacy and focus on the prevention of illness, injury or disability, the promotion of health, and maintenance of the health of populations
Public health nurses should be competent in analyzing community health problems classified in the community nursing diagnoses and established priorities accordingly, set goals and objectives, and identified intervention actions that will be able to accomplish these objectives. Each problem identified as part of the assessment process must be ranked by highest priority to determine its
Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.
Community health nurses find out information about the community’s involvement and knowledge. They use their clinical understanding and experience to bring information to the community’s about different health issues in that area. For example if HIV was increasing in their area they would collect the numbers and data and bring it to the attention of other health care agencies to bring
the FHSA’s * Community nurses provide nursing services in clients’/patients’ homes. * District nurses are concerned with promoting health and well-being as well as providing nursing care.
The role of the community health nurse in the participating family’s community is to focus on the health needs of the aggregate or group. Community health nursing refers to a systematic, comprehensive focus on wellness, health protection, and disease, and injury prevention for the population residing in a specific area. The nurse functions as advocate, case manager, consultant, health care provider, educator, and collaborator with other agencies for healthy outcomes of the entire community. Nurses involved in the health of a specific community such as the family participating will assess the members living in the demographic
Community health is the process or characteristics that allow a community’s population and economy to survive. Community health is defined as the meeting of collective needs through identification of problems and
One of the greatest challenges of the twenty first century will be the tremendous increase in the number of older adults throughout the world. Elderly people are the most rapidly increasing age group in Canada. In 2000 there was about 3.8 million Canadians were 65 years older. Statistics of Canada projects that by 2021, it will get doubled (Hick S., 2010, p.270). It is sure that this demographic trend will affect most part of our society, especially the health care needs and the delivery of health services. There will be a huge increase in the issues that affect the older Canadians. It is important that future health care professionals especially the social Service workers should be prepared to meet the needs of the increasing aging population across the globe. This paper examines the main problems faced by senior population in Canada, the different social work theories related to ageism and the different roles, values, knowledge and responsibilities needed for gerontological social work practice.
The main purpose of health promotion is to heighten people’s motivation to strive for optimal health, while assisting them in making lifestyle modifications that will help them advance their wellbeing to an ideal state. Modifications of the unfavorable way of living can be enabled through a
For example, community education about current health issues is one of the functions of primary health care, so a registered nurse can assume the role of an educator and educate the community about the current threat. Community education is one of the most important aspects of nursing because their code of ethics requires them to keep the community accurately informed on health related issues (Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council [ANMC], 2006). Furthermore, the education informs community about prevention methods because primary health care supports the active participation of patients for both individual and public health.
Community health nurses possess excellent clinical skills and extensive abilities in advocacy, critical thinking, and analysis. Community-based nursing has its primary focus on the population and demands