The primary purpose of community assessment is to identify community health needs and
develop strategies for addressing those needs (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013). In the current
scenario, members of the community are typified by three main characteristics. First, they
comprise an aging population. The percentage of individuals beyond the age of 65 is currently
25%, and this is expected to grow by twofold in the next two and half decades. Second, a larger
part of the population lives in rural neighborhoods where problems in transport are apparent.
Third, the population experiences a high incidence of chronic illnesses. Unfortunately, service
waiting lists in the region extending up to two weeks, creating a need for more care providers or
expansion for more services.
For this particular community, the public health nurse should utilize certain categories of
data as outlined below:
Economics. Data on economics refers to information concerning employment, income,
and the buying power of households within the community. This information is mainly reported
through statistical means and may require the public health nurse to source data from members
of the community through primary methods or from secondary archives. The essence of
economic data is to gauge whether people can afford care (Allender, Spradley, Allender &
Spradley, 2001)
Health. Health data designates information on incident health issues and state of health
of the community in general. The current case reveals that chronic diseases are common in the
population. The public health nurse can source more data on health from health facilities and the
COMMUNITY AS CLIENT 3
population by carrying out surveys, interviews, and analysis of available secondary data
(Allender, Spradley, Allender & Spradley, 2001).
Access to Services. Data on access to services can be accessed easily from portfolios of
current care providers, coverage, as well as from surveys of distances between members of the
population and primary care providers (Allender, Spradley, Allender & Spradley, 2001).
Safety. This hints at the prevention of harm to patients in the community. Specifically,
data on safety places emphasis on prevention of errors, learning from errors, and a culture of
safety that involves patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations. These can be revealed
by various indicators in healthcare settings (Allender, Spradley, Allender & Spradley, 2001).
Education. Education in health is the profession of educating people about health and
their level of understanding on the same. It is imperative for the public health nurse to assess the
community’s ability to decipher basic medical issues and the rate at which providers educate the
public about key issues in health (Allender, Spradley, Allender & Spradley, 2001).
Culture. People originate from different cultures, and this may have an influence on the
way they receive quality care from providers. Hence, the public health nurse should collect
information on cultural the affiliation of members of the current community.
Social determinants of health. These refer to the circumstances of life that affect health.
They are categorized into the physical environment, social and economic environment, and
individual behaviors and characteristics. They can be summed up in situations where people are
born, grow up, learn, grow, work, and age (Harkness & DeMarco, 2016)
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Genetic determinants of health. Genetics plays a significant role in health and, as such,
it is crucial for the nurse to collect vital information about genetic factors that affect the health of
individuals in the community.
Three actual health problems present in Allen’s community are a high incidence of
chronic conditions, limited geriatric care, and lack of emergency transport services. The issue of
chronic diseases can be countered through early screening, patient education, dietary
interventions, early treatment, reduced drug abuse, and lifestyle change, among others (Lutz &
Young, 2010). Measurable outcomes for these interventions would be a reduction of incidence
based on statistical measures, enhanced care, and improved quality of life. Geriatric care could
be boosted via upgrades of existing facilities for which success can be measured by recording the
number of elderly patients accessing care and the range and distribution of geriatric services
among care facilities (Avorn, 1984). Finally, transport services can be improved by installing
local ambulance services for carrying patients (Suserud, 2005). Success for this can be measured
via data collected on emergency services and urgent care.
Sources of information that could be used to identify leading health indicators for the
community include telephone surveys, personal interview, focus groups, websites, printed
information, and photovoice (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013).
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References
Allender, J. A., Spradley, B. W., Allender, S., & Spradley. (2001). Community health nursing:
Concepts and practice (pp. 596-630). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Avorn, J. (1984). Benefit and cost analysis in geriatric care: Turning age discrimination into
health policy. New England Journal of Medicine, 310(20), 1294-1301.
Harkness, G. A., & DeMarco, R. F. (2016). Community and public health nursing: Evidence for
practice. Wolters Kluwer.
Lutz, B. J., & Young, M. E. (2010). Rethinking intervention strategies in stroke family
caregiving. Rehabilitation Nursing, 35(4), 152-160.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2013). Foundations of nursing in the community: Community-
oriented practice. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Suserud, B. O. (2005). A new profession in the pre‐hospital care field–the ambulance
nurse. Nursing in critical care, 10(6), 269-271.
