Question

Community Case: Advocacy in Community Health Nursing Case Part 1 The county commissioners are discussing the annual budget for the county, a small rural community with fewer than 13,000 residents. Among the major priority areas for funding are replacing a very old bridge and maintaining the road that leads to the city with the nearest hospital, 20 miles away. A recent community assessment revealed that domestic violence is a concern (although there are no precise data as to the frequency of incidences or the number of women and children who are in these often life-threatening situations). Gina MacNevin, a community health nurse, has made a request for the county commissioners to include financial support in the annual budget for establishing and maintaining a safe house for female victims and their children. The nurse attends the county commissioners' meeting to make her case for this request. Questions for students: 1. Do you think a domestic violence shelter would be a good use of the county's limited funds? Explain your response. 2. What information should the community health nurse include in her presentation to the commissioners? 3. What kind of arguments against the safe shelter should the community health nurse anticipate from the commissioners? 4. Describe the social and cultural dynamics that characterize small and often homogeneous communities.

Answer 1

1. Domestic violence shelter are one of the most important and cost-effective public health investment so I think that funding to these shelters can be a good use of the country’s limited funds. Domestic violence is a major concern that destroys lives of thousand people. Having a domestic violence shelter for females under influence can save their lives and it can have a positive impact over the society. Safe housing and shelter can provide support and motivation to women, which can have a positive and safe impact over the families.

2. The community health nurse should include information related to the frequency of domestic violence cases. This can strengthen the argument and proper statistics can make the argument more authentic and reliable.

3. The commissioners can have different perspectives toward the issue. Most of the females accept domestic violence as their fate and are not even ready to access help. This can leave the domestic violence shelters unused so other important and required issues such as health and safety of the population must be addressed first. Some of the issues can be more prioritized in their list in comparison to the domestic violence shelter. For example: stable roads to the hospitals can ensure health and safety of all the people living at the location. Moreover, limited funds can limit the accessibility of the commissioners toward multiple things.

4. The social and cultural dynamics that characterize small and often homogeneous communities include traditions, relationships, beliefs, taboos, and language and dressing styles. Cultural homogeneity ensure similar characteristics in a social community in the form of cultural patterns toward their pride and dignity.