Question

The final chapters in the text discuss "Nurse Roles and Functions in the Community." Consider your clinical experiences this term with various community health nurses. Which nursing role did you find most interesting and why.

Answer 1

Community health nurses, sometimes called public health nurses, are registered nurses (RNs) who are trained to work in public health settings such as country or state health departments, schools, jails, and businesses. Because of their roles in the community as caregivers, they often form close bonds within the communities they serve and form lasting relationships. They become area experts on health and wellness.

Community Health Nurses’ Roles and functions in the community- community nurses can be found running wellness clinics, coordinating emergency preparedness for disaster relief, or treating injuries and illnesses.

1. Disease prevention specialist:-

Community health nurses focus on long- and short-term care for disease prevention. Their work includes averting or controlling the spread of the flu and other communicable diseases. They work with patients to support diabetes self-management and improve diabetes control. They also work with mothers of newborns to reduce the rate of infant mortality and in schools to identify gaps in services.

2. Community educator:-

As educators, community health nurses focus on presenting materials in a clear and understandable format. They provide information to individuals, families, and communities that create a framework for healthy living and healthy choices. In schools they may teach sex education and HIV education classes. In the public, they hold classes and seminars on diabetes management. Overall, they focus on community health education as a step to preventive healthcare.

3. Leader:-

Community health nurses use evidence to implement policy changes and quality-based practices. They lead collaborative efforts to produce successful health outcomes and provide critical medical and social services in communities.

4. Researcher:-

As researchers, community health nurses collect and use evidence to execute positive changes for better health. Research is used to validate funding for public health programs, reduce inequalities in healthcare, and increase access to services.

5. Advocate:-

Public health nurses advocate on the local, state, and federal level to provide better access to healthcare, protect funding for public health programs, and reduce or eliminate health disparities. They help families arrange assistance through social services programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides healthcare and nutritional services for low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children under age 5.

6. Caregiver:-

Community nurses cross cultural, language, and literacy boundaries to shape the health and well-being of children and adults. They provide prenatal care and education for expectant mothers, including information about maternal nutrition, referrals for childbirth classes, and postpartum assistance. They also provide resources for parents to understand proper childhood development and discipline techniques.

7.)Counselor :-

Counseling is a process of helping a client to recognize and cope with stressful psychologic or social problems, to developed improved interpersonal relationships, and to promote personal growth. It involves providing emotional, intellectual, and psychologic support.

Roles of various community health nurses are:-

1. Clinical Specialists :-

Clinical specialist is a nurse who has completed a master’s degree in specialty and has considerable clinical expertise in that specialty. She provides expert care to individuals, participates in educating health care professionals and ancillary, acts as a clinical consultant and participates in research.

2. Nurse Practitioner :-

Nurse practitioner Is a nurse who has completed either as certificate program or a master’s degree in a specialty and is also certified by the appropriate specialty organization. She is skilled at making nursing assessments, performing P. E., counseling, teaching and treating minor and self- limiting illness.

3. Nurse-midwife :-

Nurse- midwife is a nurse who has completed a program in midwifery; provides prenatal and postnatal care and delivers babies to woman with uncomplicated pregnancies.

4. Nurse anesthetist :-

Nurse anesthetist is a nurse who completed the course of study in an anesthesia school and carries out pre-operative status of clients.

5. Nurse Educator :-

Nurse educator is a nurse usually with advanced degree, who beaches in clinical or educational settings, teaches theoretical knowledge, clinical skills and conduct research.

6. Nurse Entrepreneur :-

Nurse enterpreneur is a nurse who has an advanced degree, and manages health-related business.

7. Nurse administrator :-

Nurse administrator is a nurse who functions at various levels of management in health settings; responsible for the management and administration of resources and personnel involved in giving patient care.

I found nursing midwife role most interesting.I love being a midwife because it’s a really intimate time for a family and you get to be closely involved in making a difference in their lives. Once people have a baby in their life, it will never be the same!

As midwives, we are usually the first and main contact for the woman during her pregnancy, throughout labour and the early postnatal period. We are responsible for providing care and supporting women to make informed choices about their care.

A broad and varied role:-

The role of the midwife is much more diverse than some people realise. We provide health and parenting education, as well as supporting the new parents and their family throughout the childbearing process. This extends into providing home visits, breast feeding support and education, and post natal support if the new mother is experiencing post natal depression.

Challenging moments:-It can be such a wonderful job catching gorgeous healthy babies, but we should remember that sometimes we also work with women who are experiencing the death of their baby.

Initially, we help mothers deliver the baby, then we support the parent/s in their grief. We wash and clothe the baby and document them for posterity by taking photos, fingerprints and hand or feet moulds for the family to cherish.

midwifery importance:-Having been a nurse and a midwife, I can honestly say that being a midwife is really different to being a nurse. I have enjoyed both, but I am really good at catching babies and I enjoy working with women facilitating a natural part of their lives.

I think if we listen to women, encourage them, don’t judge them and do our best to give them the birth that is right for them, then we have done a good job.