Community Health Nursing : A Diverse Discipline

Ms. Conlon applies the nursing process to systems or processes at the unit/team/work group level to improve care. Deirdre has been the primary nurse for 6 hemodialysis patients. She has involved patients and families in monthly interdisciplinary meetings to promote self-efficacy and quality of life. With the help of the interdisciplinary team Deirdre has worked collaboratively to address and reinforce nutritional needs, social/family issues, barriers to care, and safety concerns. All of her primary care patients have maintained a goal of 100% for dialysis adequacy (benchmark is 85%) and a vascular access rate of 100% and dictated by KDOQI standards.

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

I did my study for this assignment in Stokes County, North Carolina which is where I recently moved to from Iowa. Stokes County is made up of several small towns but King, which is where I live, is the largest town. Stokes County is in the middle northern part of the state near the Virginia border, a mountain chain, and a lot of wilderness. Some of the towns are incorporated and some are not and a few only claim to be villages. Using the Population Economic Status Assessment, I looked at the State & County Quick Facts last revised: Feb-2015 and found that the county population is at about 46,588. The Caucasian population makes up 93.8% of the population, African American 4.4%, Hispanic 2.7%, and the remainder is 1.1%. The

Nursing is a complex and ever changing field full of new areas to advance, learn, and grow in. Some of the institutes available for nursing studies are Harkum College and West Chester University. Kristine Balay, the nurse I interviewed, attended Harkum College for her Associates degree in Nursing and she attended West Chester University for her Bachelors degree in Nursing. She has been practicing as a nurse for about 10 years now in various settings. When she was working on a trauma unit she was required to obtain an ALS certification, Kristine admits that she was grateful for obtaining this certification because it sets her apart from others in regards to job opportunities and promotions as well as gives her confidence in situations.

Note: Use the Minnesota intervention wheel as an aid in selecting the broad areas for nursing action.

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

Describe a challenging, diversity-related situation that you have faced, and likely will continue to face in your nursing career. What made this situation challenging?

The community chosen for this fieldwork practicum is Pasadena, California. Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of 2015, the estimated population of Pasadena was 140,881, making it the 183rd largest city in the United States (City Data, 2015). Pasadena is the ninth-largest city in Los Angeles County.

Community assessment, a key process in community health nursing, aims to evaluate the needs, resources, and challenges of a given community. The information gathered from the assessment is crucial to formulating health promotion objectives and activities that are geared to improve the general public’s health (Nies & McEwen, 2015). To complete this community assessment, I utilized methodological approaches to collect quantitative and qualitative data, which include several interviews from key informants, a windshield survey, and a review of published reports and census data. Thus, this paper intends to present a comprehensive profile of my community, identify perceived and actual threats, and recognize relevant health improvement opportunities for my neighborhood.

In an effort to promote the health needs within a community, a successful community health nurse (CHN) must focus on the entire population. In order to accomplish this task, the CHN utilizes a scientific approach to determine the priority population focused health needs for the community. According to Nies & McEwen (2011), a population focus involving an assessment of the community is a primary tool utilized in order to develop planning, interventions, and evaluations for the community at large. The purpose of this paper is to determine a priority

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.

Smith, C., & Maurer, F. (2013). Community/Public Health Nursing Practice (5th ed.). :. []. http://dx.doi.org/. Retrieved from www.evolve.elsiver

In this assignment am going to identify the services available for people suffering with depression in . I will also identify statutory and non-statutory services available to meet the needs of people experiencing depression; examine the contribution of different professional groups and support staff and their impact on inter-professional working. Identify the relationship between primary, secondary and tertiary service provision and a conclusion.

Every individual deserves to receive compassionate, safe and quality care regardless of race, age, gender or income. The focus on patient centered care is essential in every community. Every patient and family member deserves equal treatment. The Community Health Field Experience course work was an eye opening experience, the research and each interview I experience. The education of the lower income individuals is lacking, education is essential, every community member should receive the educational information needed in preventative medicine not only for my topic of obesity but in healthcare in general. Education should start in childhood and continue through-out life. The Community Health and Population Field course enabled me to look