Chapter 11 Responses To Critical Thinking Activities

Chapter 11 Responses to Critical Thinking Activities

1. If you were to conduct a community health assessment on your community, what would it

involve?

The community assessment process includes data collection, analysis of the community, planning, implementation, and evaluation of interventions and programs in the community. A community assessment also involves assessment of ethnic characteristics and changes in the demographics of population structure. It identifies the risk factors, health problems, protective factors, assets, needs, strengths and resources of populations in the community. The assessment focuses on the entire population in the community and includes broad health indicators.

2. How can a public health nurse apply theories/models to conduct a community assessment?

Community assessment models provide conceptual frameworks to guide community health nurses in data collection, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Nurses can use these models to conduct a systematic community and population assessment. For example, the Community-

As-Partner Model focuses on community as partner and the nursing process. A public health nurse would use the model to conduct an assessment of the community core, the community subsystems, and the community perceptions. Assessment of the community core would include people in the community, their history, demographics, ethnicity, and values and beliefs.

Assessment of the community subsystems would include the physical environment, health and social services, economy, transportation and safety, politics and government, communication, education, and recreation. Assessment of the community perceptions would consist of the perceptions of both the residents in the community and the nurse’s perception of the community.

3. Use a theory to assess the needs of a community. A community assessment using Roy’s Adaptation Model can help public health nurses identify ineffective community behaviors in the four adaptive modes—physical, group identity, role function, and interdependence (Dixon, 1999). Assessment of community behavior in the physical mode includes examining positive adaptations, described as resource adequacy, participants, physical facilities, monetary resources, and availability of physical facilities and operational resources. Assessment of the community in group identity mode includes interpersonal relationships, group self-image, social milieu, and culture. Role function mode refers to the roles of group members that work together to achieve goals and mission (Roy &

Andrews, 2005). Assessment of role function in the community would include evaluation of community resources such as hospitals, the fire department, and social service agencies (Dixon,

1999). Assessment of a community in the interdependence mode includes relationships among community members (Dixon, 1999), demographic and social changes such as the growing aging population, family structure, cultural integration, and changes in the community (Roy &

Andrews, 2005). Stimuli assessment requires community health nurses to identify the problems and causes of behaviors that might affect adaptive response (Dixon, 1999). Common stimuli include culture, integrity of the adaptive modes, innovator effectiveness, and environmental considerations (Roy & Andrews, 2005).

4. What factors would you consider when assessing individuals, families, populations and

communities?

A public health nurse would consider the following factors when conducting an assessment of individuals, families, populations and communities: history, demographics, socioeconomic status, housing, employment and working conditions, social support networks, education, the physical environment, neighborhood safety and issues related to violence and teen pregnancy, health beliefs and practices, nutrition, cultural customs, values and beliefs, health and social services, and the local economy, transportation, politics and government, communication, recreation, and community capacity to provide supports to growing populations (Anderson &

McFarlane, 2000; Keller, Schaffer, Lia-Hoagberg, & Strohschein, 2002).

5. What methods would a public health nurse use to conduct a community health or

population assessment?

A public health nurse could use the following methods to conduct a community or population assessment: A windshield survey, the community assessment wheel, surveys, secondary data, interviews, focus groups, and needs assessment.

6. How would a public health nurse make an assessment of an individual, a family,

population and a community with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds?

A public health nursing assessment involves data collection on populations and assessment of the characteristics of populations, such as the norms, values, beliefs, religions, health practices, and behaviors that constitute the uniqueness of each culture in the community. Components of the cultural assessment include family and kinship systems, social life, political systems, languages and traditions, worldview, values, orientations and cultural norms, religion and health beliefs and practice.