COMMUNITY HEALTH

NURSING

Population-focused Nursing

“Community” or “public” health

nursing is population based.

Care may be given to individuals and

families, but its purpose is the

improvement of the health of the

population as whole.

Community Health Nursing A synthesis of nursing knowledge and

practice and the science and practice of

public health, implemented via systematic

use of the nursing process and other

processes, designed to promote health and

prevent illness in population groups.

Tenets of Community Health Nursing - 1

Systematic and comprehensive population-

based assessment, policy development, and

assurance. Partnering with representatives of the

people. Priority for primary prevention. Intervention to create conditions for health.

Tenets of Community Health Nursing - 2

Active outreach

Concern for the population as a whole

Resource allocation supports maximum

gain for the population.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Source: Quad Council of Public Health

Organizations. (1999).

Community Health Nursing Standards of Care - 1 Standard I. Assessment Standard II. Diagnosis Standard III. Outcomes identification Standard IV. Planning Standard V. Assurance Standard VI. Evaluation

Source: Quad Council of Public Health Organizations. (1999).

Community Health Nursing Standards of Performance - 1

Standard I. Quality of care Standard II. Performance appraisal Standard III. Education Standard IV. Collegiality

Community Health Nursing Standards of Performance - 2

Standard V. Ethics Standard VI. Collaboration Standard VII. Research Standard VIII. Resource utilization

Source: Quad Council of Public Health Organizations. (1999).

Attributes of Community Health Nursing - 1

Population consciousness

Health orientation

Autonomy

Creativity

Attributes of Community Health Nursing - 2 Continuity

Collaboration

Intimacy

Variability

Population Consciousness

An awareness of how information

about individual clients or families

relates to the health status of the total

population

Health Orientation

An emphasis on health promotion and

maintenance rather than the cure of

disease or disability

Autonomy

Independent judgment and action by

the community health nurse

Active client participation in health

decision making

Creativity

An ability to develop innovative solutions

to community health problems using

available resources

Continuity

Long term relationships with clients

Provision of care across time as old

problems are solved and new ones

occur

Provision of care across multiple

needs

Collaboration

Interaction and joint decision making

with multiple health-related and non-

health-related disciplines to address the

health needs of population groups

Intimacy

Potential for developing awareness of

intimate details of clients’ lives

Potential for increased accuracy of

nursing assessment

Variability

In clients served

In health problems addressed

In settings for practice

Community Health Nursing Roles

Client-oriented roles

Delivery-oriented roles

Population-oriented roles

Client-oriented Roles

Caregiver

Educator

Counselor

Referral resource

Role model

Advocate

Primary care

provider

Case manager

Caregiver

Uses the nursing process to provide

direct nursing intervention to

individuals, families, or population

groups

Educator

Facilitates learning for positive health

behavior change

Counselor

Teaches and assists clients in the use

of the problem solving process

Figure 8–1 Problem Solving in Community Health Nursing

Referral Resource

Links clients to services to meet

identified health needs

Role Model

Demonstrates desired health-related

behaviors

Advocate

Speaks or acts on behalf of clients who

cannot do so for themselves

Primary Care Provider

Provides essential health services to

promote health, prevent illness, and

deal with existing health problems

Case Manager

Coordinates and directs the selection

and use of health care services to meet

client needs, maximize resource

utilization, and minimize the expense

of care

Delivery-oriented Roles

Coordinator/Care manager

Collaborator

Liaison

Coordinator/Care Manager

Organizes and integrates services to

best meet client needs in the most

efficient manner possible

Collaborator

Engages in shared decision making

regarding the nature of health problems

and potential solutions to them

Liaison

Provides and maintains connections

and communication between clients

and health care providers or among

providers

Population-oriented Roles

Case finder

Leader

Change agent

Community

developer

Coalition builder

Researcher

Case Finder

Identifies clients with specific health

problems or conditions

Geared toward awareness of

population-level problems

Leader

Influences clients and others to take

action regarding identified health

problems

Change Agent

Initiates and facilitates change in

individual or client behaviors or

conditions or those affecting

population groups

Community Developer

Mobilizes residents and other

segments of the population to take

action regarding identified community

health problems or issues

Coalition Builder

Promotes the development and

maintenance of alliances of individuals

or groups of people to address a

specific health issue

Researcher

Conducts studies to explain health-

related phenomena and to evaluate the

effectiveness of interventions to

control them