Community Health and Population-Focused Nursing - Research Paper Example

Community Health & Population-Focused Nursing Community Health & Population-Focused Nursing Introduction One of the main responsibilities of any government is to ensure that the health of its members is well taken care of. A healthy nation has the potential to meet and achieve its economic development goals as spelt out in its micro and macroeconomic policies. In this case, community health nursing comes in handy in order to ensure that the health of the community is examined and effective measures taken in order to avoid some of the major diseases and ailments that can be detrimental to it. Community health nursing often involves working together with populations and communities as equal members and partners, putting emphasis on basic prevention as well as effective health promotion (Sines, 2005). These and many other distinguishing attributes of community health nursing have evolved in the framework of philosophical and historical contexts on the preventive health care, health as well as professionalization of the nursing industry (Allender & Rector, 2010). More specifically, these roles involve many partnerships and collaboration within populations and communities in order to address the social and health conditions as well as any arising challenges. It is important to realize that community health nursing has developed in the recent past as a special nursing specialty in the time when much expansion in scientific knowledge has been taking place. Additionally, the field has developed because of the public objectives aimed at improving the standards and quality of life in urban environments, giving rise to various aspects of preventive health care that is population oriented. For a long time, public nurses had been viewed as playing a significant role towards achievements in improvements of the social and health conditions of most of the vulnerable populations. This paper examines the aspect of community health nursing in Alameda city of Alameda, focusing on how it has been used in improving the health standards of the inhabitants in the region. Community health nursing in Carlifornia In Alameda, community health nursing has been responsible for the improved health and social conditions according to research findings. In this community just like in other places, community health nursing has been applied in various setting, not being limited to centres in charge of community nursing , health agencies in homes, housing developments, neighboring centres among many others. In Alameda, the most vulnerable and high-risk populations, in most cases become the centre of focus when it comes to caring and includes the elderly persons that are frail, homeless people, smokers, sedimentary individuals, teen mothers as well as those facing the risk of certain diseases. Community nurses collaborate with other community based organisations in identifying people facing these among other dangers and mapping out the best and effective intervention strategies to be administered (Allender & Rector, 2010). It is important to realize that contemporary community health nursing just like any other related practice in Alameda is often done under proper frameworks for effective collaboration with other agencies. It is often focused on the population attributes, which crosses those institutional boundaries (Sines, 2005). In this case, it becomes easy to decide on the right interventional strategies and evaluate them in order to examine whether they are helping in achieving the set objectives. Community health nursing in Alameda can be defined from a broad range of fields that the particular perspectives, knowledge base as well as specific focus for the needed care among others. This is an important dimension instead of focusing on the specific areas that the nurses are expected to practice. However, we have instances where these nurses are often employed by some agencies that offer direct care to families and individuals. In these instances, the agencies often view the families and individuals as being a community or simply the community that needs such interventions. Assessment of the health needs of the community Alameda has a large community that comprise of different people that require the services of community health nursing. First, the community has a good number of the elderly people who need proper care since they are weak and frail to take of themselves. Most of these people have been kept in special homes so that community health nurses can attend to them. This involves giving them food and social support, attending to their health needs so that they are not affected by diseases that are sometimes common in old age. Additionally, community health nurses have a responsibility of ensuring that the young people young people, who make a majority of the community’s population. Community health nursing has been ensuring that these young people make responsible choices and decisions in order to avoid cases of HIV/AIDS prevalence. For those that already suffer from these diseases, the duty of community health nursing ensures that these people are placed on regimes that enable them to have effective ways of boosting their immune. Findings from focus group discussions In order to get the right information that cuts across the Alameda community, focus groups that were sampled from different populations were organized. Most of the respondents in these groups pointed to the fact that community health nursing has played an important role in improving health standards of this community. The groups explained that most of the community health nurses have a healthy relationship with other agencies and member of the community towards identifying and offering the much needed intervention mechanisms. Most of the young people explained that in the focus groups explained that the community health nurses have been helpful in listening to the various issues affecting their health. They explained that the information they have received from them has been helpful towards helping them to move away from addictions that have brought harmful effects on their health. Surveys In the research conducted, some of the secondary sources used included surveys that were conducted across different groups in the population of the community. In this exercise, some responded were picked and conducted at random. Most of these respondents expressed their satisfaction with the work done by the community health nurses as well as other agencies that they work alongside. Most of the old people explained that their lives and living conditions had really improved in the centers where they lived. They pointed out that the community health nurses have been highly responsive especially when it comes to attending to the emerging health needs. In the same way, the agencies that collaborate with community health nurses and other health agencies explained that health issues and other challenges in Alameda have been dealt with effectively because of the harmonious collaboration that exists between all the participating agencies. Information from the health department in Carlifornia indicates in general, the state has benefited from improved health standards as shown by the positive feedback from people that benefit from such services. Population Economic Status Assessment In terms of population economic assessment, findings from the research indicated that most people that benefited from the community health nursing were people in both the low and middle income status. In many cases, the community health nurses have managed to establish systems that address the needs of all people irrespective of their economic background. However, it is important to realize that people coming from the low class populations, forming a minority have had greater benefits from these initiatives since most of them experience challenges in accessing medical services from high end hospitals. These populations include the homeless, elderly groups, who in most cases do not have the energy to work and fend for themselves. Neighborhood/Community Safety Inventory In this case, the assessment indicated that the community has experienced reduced health challenges in the past, since the incorporation of community health nurses with other community based agencies in ensuring that Alameda experiences improved health and social standards. The collaboration between health departments in Alameda with other community based groups and other agencies have meant that community safety inventory is well taken care of. Currently many people have been pleased by the fact that they can easily access and enjoy effective community health services, something that they attribute to the collaboration between community health nurses and other health agencies. It is expected in the future, these collaboration will lead to far much improved health standards in Alameda, making it an example for other states in the United States. Cultural Assessment Tool One of the benefits that can be attributed to the successful collaboration of community health nurses and other community based organisations. Efforts of community health and population-based nursing have ensured that some of the cultural beliefs about certain diseases and ailments are effectively handled. These efforts have ensured that people get relevant education about preventive diseases and other social behavior that can be detrimental to human health (Gauwitz, 2007). In this research, cultural assessment involved looking at the people’s beliefs and practices and how they shape their decision an choices concerning their health and social dimensions of life. Culture is a broad subject that ranges from people’s beliefs, their way of life among others. All these things have effectively been taken care of as far as reduction of health concerns in Alameda is concerned. Disaster Assessment and Planning Guide This assessment and planning guide was very helpful in the planning process for the success of the research. The guide provided the much needed framework and scope of the research so that at the end, all the necessary information from the responded was captured concerning the status of community health and population-focused nursing (Gauwitz, 2007). In many instances, disaster assessment is a very important process toward understanding of various issues and challenges concerning community health and other aspects of population-focused nursing. In this research the assessment and planning guide was helpful towards the success of the research. Windshield Survey This survey was conducted in order to supplement the secondary sources of data about the statues of community health and population-oriented nursing. The survey was designed to feature information from respondents selected from various groups in Alameda. This research was very helpful in capturing the views of the respondents from the selected samples, something that aided the success of the research. In future, the windshield survey will also be employed in further researches and evaluation plans that will be carried in view of improving the health and social conditions for people in Alameda and other. In fact, it can be deduced that the windshield survey is an important tool that needs to be used by other groups desiring to examine the effectiveness of health strategies and methods being implemented in their different areas. Population Health Scavenger Hunt The population health scavenger hunt tool was also instrumental for the success of the research on community health and population-focused nursing in Alameda. This is a creative and playful tool for investigating into various concepts in public health, especially for little children (Allender & Rector, 2010). This tool often enables these children to explore and recognize their respective surrounding and health features. Additionally, it focuses on matters affecting their bodies too, which makes it possible to assess the levels of their health and social conditions. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to appreciate the fact that community health and population-focused nursing has been essential towards the improvements that have been witnessed as far as health and social conditions in Alameda are concerned. So far, effective collaboration has been witnessed between the healthy state’s health departments and community based organizations alongside other health agencies. It is believed that such collaboration will be essential towards consolidation of the benefits that have been achieved as far as the community’s health and population-focused nursing is concerned. In the same way, people have been effectively empowered in order to make responsible choices and decisions over their social and health lifestyles. The findings from the research conducted are going to provide the much needed insight towards understanding how to manage various issues relating to community health and population-focused nursing. It is important to note the proper health is a key ingredient towards the social and economic growth and development of any country or state. In this case, no efforts need to be spared, which can aid in the achievement of this important goal. This means that all the tools deemed effective and efficient towards achievement of this goal should be utilized to the end. References Allender, J., & Rector, C. (2010). Community health nursing: Promoting and protecting the publics health (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Gauwitz, D. (2007). Community health nursing. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. Sines, D. (2005). Community health care nursing (3rd ed.). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Pub. Read More