The Importance Of Community Nursing

As indicated from the article “Expert Voices” (2015), including the subtitle of what we do to end health disparities is a merit question for everybody to ask and then act and think about it. As a community nurse, my potent goal is to work with people in the community, dig down deeply to find the root of the problems, inform the people and solve it (Alvaro, C., 2014).

“Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles” (ICN 2010)

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.

Community health nurses face many concerns that can create environmental and global health issues. In history, humans have battled many health epidemics, from as early as the black plague, to polio, and more recent issues of measles, small pox, and HIV/AIDS. Many vaccines have been created and billions of lives have been saved, but there is still many unimmunized. Communities worldwide are at risk for many communicable diseases and should be prepared and knowledgeable about their community’s risks, protocols, and how to keep their community members safe.

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

Low-income families comprise a large percentage of America’s social class. These families may struggle to meet their basic needs such as food, water, electricity, and transportation all of which can impact the families health status and change the level of priority they give to complying to their health treatments. “The health disparities between poor people and those with higher incomes are almost universal for all dimensions of health” (Friedman et al. 2003, p.229). As a nurse we must try to help close the gap between these health disparities through patient advocacy, community outreach, resource availability, and health education. Nurse’s play a crucial role in the health of our community and the families that reside within, which is why social status is such an important element of the health

Community health nurses incorporate community participation and knowledge about the total population with personal, clinical understandings of the

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing"-Theodore Roosevelt. Like Roosevelt, he saw that reflecting off hard work and spending hours interacting has an impact on the people. Nurses spend day and night helping the community and the patients. When one is in need or isn't satisfied they are there. Hard work pays off and nurses have chosen this profession to improve the quality of life for all. Nurses impact environmental health on human community through patients advocacy, informing communities/families, and keeping the environment clean.

When public health nurses collaborate with individuals, the focus is on promoting awareness, behaviors, and values that maintain and improve health, with the ultimate goal being of bettering the overall health of the population. These actions are also essential when interacting with families and communities, where the aim is in promoting family and community standards, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors that improve their overall health. So in order to have positive outcomes the public health nurses need to also consider how essential it is to work with clients as equal partners. (p Book 8). The public health nurse’s actions must enhance understanding and the need for widespread health planning in collaboration with communities and populations, focused upon the perceptions, priorities, and values of the population.

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

WOW, that is a lot of patients! This week’s lessons discusses the evolving role of the school nurse not only attending the students’ needs but involvement in “policy-making activities at both the local and state levels (CCN, 2015) The question proposed in this week’s lesson regarding some of the roles for the community health nurses is also applicable to the school nurse. The school nurse is the clinician, case manager, advocate, educator, researcher, administrator, change agent, case finder, coordinator and consultant in order to meet the complex needs of students.

Nurses take on educator roles both in educating the public on their health and as educators in clinical practice and academic settings. As a public educator, nurses teach and counsel patients and families to enhance health and well-being. Patient and family health education is an important step in preventing disease. In order to be able to properly educate their clients on health promotion and well-being, nurses must first fully understand “health”. Nurses do not view health as “the absence of illness” but “define health as the extent to which an individual or group is able to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs and to change or cope with the environment in which they live.” (CARNA, 2005, p.2). Nurses hold a holistic view of the person and health and address health within the context of a person’s wholeness, including biological, emotional, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. Incorporating these ideas, nurses use the determinants of health as a way of dealing with and achieving health for an individual. Nurses recognize the broad determinants of health as income & social status, education, culture, physical environments, gender, health services, social support networks, employment & working conditions, health services, personal health practices, and biology & genetic endowment.

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

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.