Community health nursing essay

Community health nursing

Community health nursing is defined as a synthesis of nursing and public health practice applied to promoting and preserving the health of populations, according to the ANA in 2000. As an R. N. in the ICU hospital setting, I have not come across the terms community based nursing and public health nursing often. Community health nursing is a synthesis of nursing practice and public health practice applied in promoting and preserving the health of populations.

Since Community health nursing promotes self care of the individual, I have not experienced this type of nursing in my present position. As far as distinguishing between public health nursing, community health nursing, and community based nursing, they are different in many ways. Public health nursing has a broader base of practice, caring for the entire community, where community nursing has a more specific group or section of the society.

When comparing the nursing code of ethics of different types of nursing, I find that there is no difference. Nurses have four fundamental responsibilities to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health and alleviate suffering. Since all nurses should adhere to these four fundamental responsibilities, there should not be more than one code of ethics for nurses. Whether a nurse renders health services to individuals, family, or the community, there should be a consistency in ethics and integrity.

The role of the public health nurse as defined in a job description is as follows: Monitor health trends and identity 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 improve access to care. Educate and provide direct health care services to vulnerable and at risk populations. Public health nurses have a belief that a person’s health is affected by many factors, including genetic make-up, life style, and environment. Emphasized in this job description, is the advantage for the patient. Instead of waiting to be admitted to a hospital, they go into communities to try and to say if their job, the job descriptions correlate.

I would think there are times, they are unable to provide complete and holistic care due to unforeseen insurance, or provider issues. I do not see any evidence that these nurses are involved in policy formulation, unless they are involved with an agency dictating policy. In my professional setting, I am active in communicating with all physicians in the plan of care, and to communicate with the family, and the patient if he/she is able. I believe that education of the family and patient is very important to the current care plan, and the future planning for the patient.