NRS-428 Topic 1 DQ 1
NRS-428 Topic 1 DQ 1: Explain the role of the community health nurse in partnership with community stakeholders for population health promotion. Explain why it is important to appraise community resources (nonprofit, spiritual/religious, etc.) as part of a community assessment and why these resources are important in population health promotion.
Public health nurses use strategies to promote stakeholder involvement, such as forums and education sessions to increase a community’s awareness of its strengths and promote a community’s capability to engage all stakeholders to bring their skills together to promote community partnerships to respond to vulnerability. Community health nursing is essential to thehealth and welfare of the entire population. Healthcare should be accessible to everyone.
Not only do community health nurses deliver patient care, they also help reduce the occurrence of injuries, illnesses and deaths by informing people about health risks. Their responsibilities include health education, advocacy, political and social reform, community organizing, and medical care. Their primary concerns are primary prevention and health promotion.
A community assessment, which identifies and evaluates problem areas, health disparities, and resources for a population, can be carried out by nurses using the nursing process. This sheds light on the living, working, and playing conditions of the population. The nurse can improve the health of larger groups by collaborating with community stakeholders, such as spiritual groups. Population health promotion relies heavily on these resources because it aims to empower individuals and communities to choose healthy behaviors and make changes that reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.
Reference
National Library of Medicine. (2019). Community Empowerment and Community Partnerships in Nursing Decision-Making. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc
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Public health nursing is defined as the practice of promoting and protecting the health of populations using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences (American Public Health Association, Public Health Nursing Section, 1996). Public health nursing practice focuses on population health, with the goal of promoting health, and preventing disease and disability.
Public Health Nurses comprise the largest segment of the professional public health workforce and serve in many different critical roles. Public Health Nurses work with the individuals and families that compose the communities and the systems that affect the communities. They work in a variety of settings such as health departments, schools, homes, community health centers, clinics, correctional facilities, worksites, out of mobile vans and even dog sleds.
The knowledge and skills of Public Health Nurses enable them to make significant contributions to public health. Their clinical knowledge and unique relationships to those they serve assist in designing and implementing programs and policies to meet the needs of vulnerable populations. The combination of a clinical nursing background with knowledge from the public health and social sciences provide a sound basis for public health leadership positions.
Resources
A community nurse is extremely important for the well-being of the entire community. With the presence of a good community nurse, it is possible to deal with community health challenges that would otherwise not be dealt with. A major problem that exists in many communities, particularly those who are medically underserved, is that the people are not aware of the health resources that are available to them and how to get access to that (Fooladi, 2015).
A community health nurse can work as a liaison in collaborating all the healthcare resources available for a community and act as an excellent source of information for the people who desperately need those resources. The community health nurse can be the hub which brings together all the stakeholders for population health promotion and allow them to collaborate to create the maximum positive impact on the wellbeing of the community. For example, community health nurses can work with local authorities to help place homeless people in available shelters (Goeman et al., 2019). However, in order to be able to do that, the community nurse has to be aware of all the resources which are available in the community in the first place.
Through extensive research and analysis, a community health nurse can become aware of all the various resources that are at the disposal of the community, and the best way to utilize them for the betterment of the community. That is why a community nurse must appraise all the community resources, including nonprofits, government, religious, etc., as soon as possible when engaged in a community. A successful appraisal would be very useful in not just understanding what these resources can be used for, but it can also give ideas on which resources can be used in conjunction together to have the best desired effect in population health promotion.
Fooladi M. M. (2015). The Role of Nurses in Community Awareness and Preventive Health. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery, 3(4), 328–329. Goeman, D., Howard, J., & Ogrin, R. (2019). Implementation and refinement of a community health nurse model of support for people experiencing homelessness in Australia: a collaborative approach. BMJ open, 9(11), e030982. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030982
Community health nurses and other community resources play a significant role in promoting the community’s health. These resources include nonprofit organizations, stakeholders, and spiritual groups, to name a few. A community health assessment is one of these individuals’ many tasks. This assessment entails “a systematic examination of the health status indicators for a given population that is used to identify key problems and assets in a community.” (CDC, 2022).
These professionals collaborate to develop primary prevention methods to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the community based on subjective and objective findings. One barrier you describe is health education and availability. Many communities are underprivileged regarding health care and managing health conditions. Community health nurses and resources plan to achieve many goals when utilizing the nursing process to improve one’s health.
These goals are promoting healthy lifestyle habits, preventing health problems, providing direct care, educating others on chronic conditions and healthy decision-making, evaluating the community’s health based on the interventions performed, instituting wellness programs, and conducting research to continue health promotion in underserved areas. (Northeastern State University, 2017). When these groups are appraised appropriately, the community benefits from physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health education. These tactics can be incorporated into daily life and satisfy one’s health overall.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022 November 25). Community Health Assessments & Health Improvement Plans. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/cha/plan.html
Northeastern State University. (2017 September 20). The Nurse’s Role in Community Health. Northeastern State University. https://nursingonline.nsuok.edu/degrees/rn-to-bsn/nurses-role-in-community-health/
While most nurses care for one patient at a time, public health nurses care for entire populations. By working with whole communities, public health nurses are able to educate people about health issues, improve community health and safety and increase access to care.
Public health nurses believe a person’s health is affected by many factors, including genetic makeup, lifestyle and environment. Instead of waiting for patients to come to the hospital with an illness, they go into communities to try and help people improve their health and prevent disease.
For people who don’t have access to care, public health nurses may also provide direct health care services, including preventive care, screening services and health education.
Public health nurses also:
- Monitor health trends and identify health risk factors unique to specific communities
- Set local priorities for health-related interventions to provide the greatest benefit to the most people
- Advocate with local, state and federal authorities to improve access to health services for underserved communities
- Design and implement health education campaigns and disease prevention activities, such as immunizations and screenings
- Tell people about locally available health care programs and services to improve access to care
- Educate and provide direct health care services to vulnerable and at-risk populations
Health education is a primary focus of public health nurses. Drawing on their training as registered nurses, public health nurses give people reliable, useful information about how to protect their health.
In presentations at schools, community groups, senior centers and other local groups, public health nurses explain proper nutrition, demonstrate effective safety practices, promote early detection of common diseases, tell people how to care for disabled or ill family members and inform people about other important health issues. Their goal is to make health information easy to understand, so people can take greater control over their well being.
In low-income and rural communities, public health nurses also provide critical health care services. They immunize schoolchildren, provide pre-natal and well-baby care and teach the elderly how to stay safe and healthy at home. They also must be able to recognize and respond to potential health crises.
Resources
The American Public Health Association—Public Health Nursing section has reviewed this profile.
The community health nurse focuses on smaller group populations with a specific emphasis such as disease prevention, with a goal to improve overall health. The smaller groups share specific risk factors, and this give the nurse her focus. The public health nurse teams up with community leaders who are directed by the health of the population.
“The PHN collaborates with other disciplines and key community stakeholders. These stakeholders are persons who are both involved and directly affected by the plans, actions, and outcomes of population health care. For example, stakeholders may be local government officials, community groups, faith-based organizations, or local business owners” (Grand Canyon University, 2018) This helps the community to work together in their capacity. So, groups can be better identified, and one group may have better access to health than another group. This will also help to identify those with the greatest needs.
According to the CDC, it is important to appraise community resources as part of a community assessment because this aids in providing more through information to develop a more effective plan to meet the needs of the community. “A community health assessment gives organizations comprehensive information about the community’s current health status, needs, and issues.
This information can help develop a community health improvement plan by justifying how and where resources should be allocated to best meet community needs.” (“CDC – Assessment and Plans – Community Health Assessment – STLT Gateway,” 2022) These resources are important on many levels, this helps bring like-minded individuals in the community together to support one another and have a focus to meet the needs to the specific group of individuals.
Resources
Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). Community & public health: The future of health care. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs427vn/community-and-public-health-the-future-of-health-care/v1.1/ CDC – Assessment and Plans – Community Health Assessment – STLT Gateway. (2022, November 25). Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/cha/plan.html#:~:text=A%20community%20health%20assessment%20gives,to%20best%20meet%20community%20needs
Community health nurses oversee the health and well-being of individuals and groups within their communities. They perform both clinical and nonclinical duties, but their primary responsibilities are:
- Administering vaccines
- Coordinating immunization clinics, blood donation drives and other outreach programs
- Providing educational information and handouts about relevant healthcare topics, including smoking, STDs, pregnancy, nutrition and disease prevention
- Treating superficial wounds and injuries
- Caring for individuals and families who live in remote areas
- Offering basic diagnostic services, such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring
- Identifying barriers to care and optimal health
- Developing interventions to bridge gaps in care or understanding
- Assessing the community’s needs
- Conducting research
- Tracking the health of populations over time
Community health nurses regularly work closely with members of the public. This frequent contact helps them assess the most pressing issues facing community members as well as “encourage lifestyle changes … and offer education on healthy living — particularly to the most vulnerable in society,” says the ANA.
Community health nurses work in healthcare facilities, like hospitals and outpatient clinics. In addition, they work for city, county and state government agencies and nonprofit organizations, like the Red Cross. Some nurses work in correctional facilities, where they conduct educational programs for inmates.
Community health nurses also occasionally travel. Rural and remote residents often experience more significant barriers to care, so community health nurses should be prepared to travel to the isolated areas within their communities.
References
The Nurse’s Role in Community Health
The Importance of Communication in Nursing
