Primary Client in Community Health Nursing: Who is It?

Study Notes

Community Health Nursing

Community is considered a primary client for two reasons: it directly influences the health of individuals, families, and sub-populations, and most health services are provided at this level.

The Role of Community Health Nurses

Community health nurses direct care to individuals, families, or groups, with a population-focused approach.
The hallmark of community health nursing is public health nursing, which is population-focused.

Nursing Process

The nursing process is a systematic, scientific, dynamic, and ongoing intrapersonal process involving nurses and clients as a system.
It is a series of actions leading to a particular result, achieved through active client involvement.

Steps of Nursing Process

Assessment
Diagnosis
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation

Community Assessment

Community assessment is an essential process for understanding the community, identifying its needs, weaknesses, assets, and strengths.
It is a comprehensive process that identifies strengths, resources, assets, and needs, leading to action.
Community assessment is also known as community health needs assessment.

Data Sources

Data sources are grouped into primary and secondary data.
Primary data sources include:
- The community itself
- Observation (ocular/windshield survey)
- Survey
- Informative interview
- Community forum
- Focused group discussions
Data to be collected in a community depends on the objectives of the community assessment.

Community Assessment Approach

Comprehensive approach: gathers information on the entire community to identify actual and potential health problems.
Problem-oriented approach: focuses on a particular aspect of health, collecting information on a specific community problem.

Data Extraction Methods

Observation: an act of extracting information from subjects being studied.
Ocular/Windshield Survey: a rapid observation of a community, performed by walking, driving, or riding on a vehicle, observing:
- People (vulnerable groups such as the young, children, elderly, and pregnant women)
- Environmental conditions (terrain, homes, housing density, cleanliness, vegetation, and animals)
- Existing facilities (barangay halls, health facilities, schools, churches, plazas, and basketball courts)

Description

Learn about the reasons why the community is considered the primary client in community health nursing. Explore how the community influences the health of individuals, families, and sub-populations, and why most health services are provided at the community level.