Question

1. Compare and contrast definitions of health from a public health nursing perspective. 2. Explain the difference between public/community health nursing practice and community-based nursing practice. 3. Discuss major contemporary issues facing community/public health nursing and trace the historical roots to the present. 4. Discuss and explain the steps to identified/diagnosed community health problems.

Answer 1

1. Public Health includes community health. Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals”. It is concerned with threats to health based on population health analysis. Public health incorporates the interdisciplinary approaches of epidemiology, biostatistics and health services, environmentak health, community health, behavioral health, health economics, public policy, insurance medicine and occupational health (respectively occupational medicine) are other important subfields. Community Health is a discipline concerned with the study and improvement of the health characteristics of different communities. Community health tends to focus on geographical areas, and includes primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.

2. Community health nursing is the synthesis of nursing practice and public health practice.

It has the major goal to preserve the health of the community and surrounding populations.

It focuses on health promotion and health maintenance.

It is associated with health and identification of populations at risk rather than an episodic response to patient demand.

# Public Health Nursing (ANA)

ANA definition (2007)

The practice of promoting and protecting the health of populations

Uses knowledge from nursing, as well as social and public health sciences, to promote and protect the health of populations.

Is population focused, with the goals of promoting health and preventing disease and disability for all people

3. Major contemporary issues facing community, public health nursing.

Promote the health of populations

Need a broadened focus on the multiple causes of morbidity and mortality

Aware of increased technological advances

Understand the community need for a focus on prevention, health promotion, and home care

Focus on holistic care

1. Endemic:

Diseases that are always present in a population (e.g., colds and pneumonia).

2. Epidemic:

Diseases that are not always present in a population but flare up on occasion (e.g., diphtheria and measles).

3. Pandemic:

"Whole-worldly"

The existence of disease in a large proportion of the population—a global epidemic (e.g., HIV, AIDS, and annual outbreaks of influenza type A).

# The root causes of poor health care.

Socioeconomic factors: obesity, smoking, can't afford medications/proper foods, political factors- policies made, environmental factors- pollution, precursors to health family history, lack of education.

4. Public health nursing and the nursing process :-

1. assessment- of the community; vitals; identify and prioritize health needs

2. diagnosis- community focused

3. planning- within the community and with community members; mutual goals and objectives; alternative levels of intervention

4. implementation- with the community; interventions address the health of the community

5. evaluation- with the community; outcomes are measured at the levels of the community