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Windshield Survey Research Paper

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Windshield Survey: Heber, Arizona
Jonathon E. Olmstead
Franklin Pierce University

Windshield Survey: Heber, Arizona
Assessing a community is an integral part of Community Health Nursing because it leads to an understanding of a community’s overall health status, including its strengths and weaknesses. In turn, the assessment findings can be used to influence positive change in the community and improve the population’s health. One strategy used to assess a population’s health needs is performing a windshield survey. A windshield survey is typically conducted from a moving vehicle and includes a systematic observation of the general community. This paper includes the findings of a windshield survey I completed of Heber, AZ as well as my overall impression of the survey, and personal biases that I need to consider. Heber is a small town located about three hours outside of Phoenix, AZ, in the White Mountains. With a population of only 2,822, the town’s economy relies heavily on tourism, retirement, and timbering (United States Census Bureau, 2017). The windshield survey was completed on a sunny and cool Friday around 2:30 in the afternoon while public schools were on Fall Break (Fall Break consists of one week off each year in October).
The people observed fell …show more content…

By doing so, I was able to eliminate some personal bias; however, I was limited to my observations only. Additionally, coming from a larger city, I think there was a level of culture shock (while very minute), which comes with an inherent bias when subjected to a new culture. I have visited similar towns though, so I think this unfamiliarity is not entirely new and therefore limits potentially skewed viewpoints in that regard. By speaking to the residents and getting their perspective and opinions on positive and negative aspects of the community, I could better assess potential

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