Community Settings for Family Health Nurses
Family nurses work in a number of diverse settings, including schools, occupational sites, public health departments, physician offices, family homes, and community nursing centers. Even though the populations vary with each setting, the family nurse uses the same concepts and principles altering them to fit the needs of each family or group. In the community, the role of the family nurse is to educate, promote health, prevent disease, and influence policy. To accomplish this, it is essential that the nurse understands the needs of the family by performing a thorough assessment and including them when planning interventions (Rowe Kaakinen, Padgett Coehlo, Steel, Tabacco, & Harmon Hanson, 2015). …show more content…
To be effective, the nurse must develop a trusting relationship with the community and consider cultural, educational, and socioeconomic factors when planning teaching strategies. The goal is to promote community wellness and decrease disability by identifying aspects that influence health behavior (Nies & McEwan, 2015-a). All steps of the educational care plan must be carefully planned. Nurses identify the health needs of the community by reviewing and analyzing community statistics. If the nurse has not developed a relationship with the community, networking, volunteering, or spending time at churches and other organizations may be helpful. Once a relationship is established, teaching strategies are aimed at helping the population understand their level of risk, explaining the potential benefits that behavioral changes bring, and identifying and overcoming barriers that stand in the way of modifying behavior (ReCAPP, n.d.). Health education covers a variety of topics such as environmental safety, psychosocial issues, immunizations, substance abuse, exercise, nutrition, and others. Families access health education in any setting where nurses are found. Free-clinics, physician offices, schools, work sites, health departments, homes, extended care facilities, hospitals, churches and community organizations are just some of those …show more content…
Early roles included treatment, health promotion, and disease prevention. Today, nurses collaborate with other entities to advocate, organize communities, collect and analyze data, facilitate referrals and write public policy (Kulbok, Thatcher, Park, & Meszaros, 2012). Three roles of the community health nurse that I will discuss is family and community assessment, community statistical analysis, and policy development.
Family and Community
Family nurses work in a number of diverse settings, including schools, occupational sites, public health departments, physician offices, family homes, and community nursing centers. Even though the populations vary with each setting, the family nurse uses the same concepts and principles altering them to fit the needs of each family or group. In the community, the role of the family nurse is to educate, promote health, prevent disease, and influence policy. To accomplish this, it is essential that the nurse understands the needs of the family by performing a thorough assessment and including them when planning interventions (Rowe Kaakinen, Padgett Coehlo, Steel, Tabacco, & Harmon Hanson, 2015). …show more content…
To be effective, the nurse must develop a trusting relationship with the community and consider cultural, educational, and socioeconomic factors when planning teaching strategies. The goal is to promote community wellness and decrease disability by identifying aspects that influence health behavior (Nies & McEwan, 2015-a). All steps of the educational care plan must be carefully planned. Nurses identify the health needs of the community by reviewing and analyzing community statistics. If the nurse has not developed a relationship with the community, networking, volunteering, or spending time at churches and other organizations may be helpful. Once a relationship is established, teaching strategies are aimed at helping the population understand their level of risk, explaining the potential benefits that behavioral changes bring, and identifying and overcoming barriers that stand in the way of modifying behavior (ReCAPP, n.d.). Health education covers a variety of topics such as environmental safety, psychosocial issues, immunizations, substance abuse, exercise, nutrition, and others. Families access health education in any setting where nurses are found. Free-clinics, physician offices, schools, work sites, health departments, homes, extended care facilities, hospitals, churches and community organizations are just some of those …show more content…
Early roles included treatment, health promotion, and disease prevention. Today, nurses collaborate with other entities to advocate, organize communities, collect and analyze data, facilitate referrals and write public policy (Kulbok, Thatcher, Park, & Meszaros, 2012). Three roles of the community health nurse that I will discuss is family and community assessment, community statistical analysis, and policy development.
Family and Community