CHN

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

Definition

  • Community Health Nursing: A synthesis of nursing practice and public health to promote and preserve the health of populations.

    • Focuses on the community as a whole, providing care to individuals, families, and groups within this context.

    • Key Services:

      • Promotion of health

      • Prevention of illness

      • Care of the sick at home and rehabilitation

Levels of Clientele

  • Four Levels:

    • Individuals

    • Family

    • Population

    • Community

Subspecialties

  • Categories of Nursing:

    • School Nursing

    • Occupational Health Nursing

    • Community Mental Health Nursing

    • Public Health Nursing

Community-Based Nursing

  • A philosophy of care where services are provided as clients move outside of hospital settings.

Public Health Nursing

  • A specialized nursing field integrating nursing, public health, and aspects of social assistance.

    • Functions within the public health program to promote health and improve environmental conditions.

    • Winlow's Definition: Public health is the science and art of preventing diseases, prolonging life, and promoting health.

Roles & Functions of Public Health Nurses

  1. Planner/Programmer: Identifies health needs and priorities.

  2. Nursing Care Provider: Care for sick and disabled.

  3. Manager/Supervisor: Develops nursing plans and leads community health initiatives.

  4. Community Organizer: Motivates community participation and engages in development activities.

  5. Service Coordinator: Collaborates with families and groups for health services.

  6. Health Educator/Counselor/Trainer: Conducts health education and counseling.

  7. Health Monitor: Tracks health status of individuals and groups.

  8. Researcher: Utilizes various methods to assess community health.

Qualifications of Public Health Nurses

  • Education: BS in Nursing and RN required.

  • Personal Qualities: Good health, community interest, cooperative attitude, leadership potential, resourcefulness, creativity, and active membership in professional organizations.

Philippine Health Care Delivery System

Public Sector: Department of Health (DOH)

  • Functions as a national policy and regulatory institution, overseeing health systems and ensuring quality.

Vision, Mission, Goal of the Health Sector

  • Vision: Healthiest people in Southeast Asia by 2022.

  • Mission: Develop a productive, resilient, equitable, and people-centered health system.

  • Goal: Health Sector Reform Agenda (HSRA) aims to improve health delivery.

Framework for HSRA

FOURmula ONE for Health (2005-2010):

  • Goals:

    • Better health outcomes

    • Responsive health systems

    • Equitable health care financing

  • Four Elements:

    1. Health Financing

    2. Health Regulation

    3. Health Service Delivery

    4. Good Governance

Local Health System (RA 7160)

  • Devolution of health programs to local government units for improved service delivery.

    • Objectives include establishing local health systems and improving management capabilities.

Primary Health Care (PHC)

  • Adopted in the Philippines via Presidential directive (LOI 949).

  • Themes: Community partnership and empowerment for health.

Components and Pillars of PHC

  1. Education for health

  2. Disease control and treatment

  3. Immunization

  4. Maternal and child health

  5. Essential drugs

  6. Environmental sanitation

Levels of Primary Health Care Workers

  • Village/Barangay Workers: Trained community health workers

  • Intermediate Health Workers: Public health nurses, sanitary inspectors, midwives, etc.

Health Care Levels & Referral System

  1. Primary Care: Devolved to cities and municipalities; includes community hospitals and health centers.

  2. Secondary Care: Provided by trained physicians typically in hospitals.

  3. Tertiary Care: Specialized care for complex cases.

Levels of Prevention

  • Primary Prevention: Health promotion (e.g., immunizations).

  • Secondary Prevention: Early disease detection (e.g., screenings).

  • Tertiary Prevention: Rehabilitation to restore functioning.

Community Health Nursing Process

  1. Assessment: Identifies health levels and deficits.

  2. Planning: Sets goals and constructs action plans.

  3. Implementation: Nursing interventions are executed.

  4. Evaluation: Determines effectiveness through specific frameworks.

Management Functions of the Community Health Nurse

  • Planning: Establishing visions and goals.

  • Organizing: Analyzing systems and assigning roles.

  • Directing: Communicating planning decisions.

  • Coordinating: Linking healthcare team members.

  • Controlling: Measuring performance and ensuring standards.

  • Evaluating: Documenting effectiveness of actions.

Nursing Procedures in Community Health

  • Standard Procedures: Registration, waiting management, triaging, clinical evaluation, laboratory referrals, prescription, and health education.

Blood Pressure Measurement

  • Steps: Preparation, applying cuff, measurement, and documentation.

Home Visits

  • Purposeful nursing contact to assess and address health needs; must involve planning and prioritization.

Epidemiology

  • Scope: Study of health conditions and their distribution.

  • Key Concepts: Causation, natural history of disease, interventions, statistics.

Programs and Policies

  • Family health, child health, nutrition, oral health, and reproductive health programs.

Environmental Health and Sanitation

  • Regulations and programs in place to prevent illness by managing environmental factors.

Community Organizing and Participatory Action Research (COPAR)

  • A transformative process that empowers communities through collaborative program development.

Conclusion

  • Community health nursing emphasizes a holistic, community-centered approach to health care, integrating education, management, and preventative strategies for comprehensive health improvement.