Community health nursing is an integral part of the nursing profession that entails assessment, data collection, implementation, and evaluation of community needs. Through community health nursing, the prevention level is enhanced within the community, which eventually reduces hospitalizations. Community health nursing entails health care professionals committed to working in the community and outreaches. CHNS work within the community by providing services for health conditions while helping to educate people on the best to prevent them. CHNs’ work is significant in rural areas, medically underserved populations, and economically disadvantaged communities. CHNs provide care to people experiencing poverty and those with low health literacy.
Amidst the health conditions recognized in the community, CHNs collectively address such needs and direct necessary hospital referrals. Hospitals find a better ground to improve the care system when the prevention level is adamantly upheld with the community setup. CHNs utilize their expertise in working with the people in the community and the local public health departments ensuring the community needs are exhausted. Community assessment entails the creation of programs that allow communities to become healthier, often involving providing treatment for poor, culturally diverse, and uninsured populations. CHN works performing free health care screenings and vaccinations and providing other preventative care needs within the community.
Rutherford County Health is based in Rutherford County. Rutherford county health department conducted a community health nursing assessment in 2016 and 2019. As a requirement for Ascension Saint Thomas and Vanderbilt University Medical Center as nonprofit hospitals, they collaborated with the Rutherford County health department in performing the community health needs. The health facility reviewed the most recent health assessment and collectively identified the current needs of Rutherford County. Rutherford County Hospital serves the entire Rutherford County and the city of Murfreesboro. The community where CHNA was conducted includes the Rutherford County Health Department. The demographic of the community included 83% of female, 22% Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin, and 64% black or African American. The core purpose of the survey assessment involved examining existing reports relevant to community health and healthcare in Rutherford. It also summarized the existing reports using health equity as a framework. The assessment identified the target geography and summarized the health topics.
The assessment survey conducted three main themes of focus: housing/homelessness, social determinants of health and wellness, and disease prevention. The social determinant of the health of focus includes poverty, lacking education, access to parks, recreational centers, and violence and crimes. The priority needs that encompassed the Rutherford community included housing/homelessness, vulnerable populations, built environment, transportation, child cost, ad opportunities for the youth. The CHNA interviewed 26 community representatives and leaders by focusing on the community’s broad interests. The assessment represented other sectors such as the public health sector, health care education, faith-based community, and private nonprofit academia.
The findings of the Rutherford CHNA revolved around various aspects of the community. The demographics of the Rutherford community included; a population of 979 people living in Rutherford County. 77% were female, 84% were employed, 49% earned a salary less than $ 75,000, and 15% of the population were veterans or lived with veterans. It is surprising and interesting to note that the general health is health. This comes from the findings of self-rated health status. 81 % of the accounted-for person performs exercises. Another surprising aspect that indicates the community is healthy is that 86 % of the population has seen a doctor within the year. 28.9% of the respondents in the CHNA agree that there is affordable and accessible housing in the county. However, most disagreed with affordable and accessible housing in Rutherford County. Housing is an essential determinant of health that ought to be looked into. The county’s homeless rate is alarming as most of the population meets the definition of homeless. Another concern for the county’s health is that 70 % of the community agrees that drug use or abuse is a menace in Rutherford County.
Positive and negative factors of the community’s health
Housing and access to health and food form the basic services a community ought to have—adequate housing curbs homelessness, which is associated with acquiring diseases. The majority of people in Rutherford County are homeless, which typically may predispose the community to varied health conditions. Access to health enables a recognition of health disparities which attributes to executing interventions. Uninsured participants are limited to access to health care which puts them at risk of seeking curative care. Parts of Rutherford County still have a high proportion of uninsured citizens. The negative factor of the community includes indulgence in drug abuse. Drug abuse involves the use of substance abuse, such as tobacco use. Tobacco substance usage in pregnant months attributes to infant mortality. Rutherford community depicts increased infant mortality, a negative factor in the community’s health.
Health priority needs of the community.
Key health priorities for the Rutherford County community include; access to housing, nutrition /obesity, and substance/ mental health. Access to better housing is a barrier in Rutherford County which has rendered the majority homeless. Homeless results from poverty. Mental needs in the community are a priority need due to the stresses of the homeless environment. Mental issues have led individuals to have increased drug abuse, such as tobacco, contributing to increased cancer cases in the community. Nutrition is also a priority and major need in the Rutherford community. Unhealthy eating habits in the community have contributed to increasing obesity, although improved physical activity levels. Rutherford community ought to put in place ways to promote and encourages healthy behaviors.
I agree with the identified health needs. I am particularly interested in exploring the need for mental health concerning substance abuse in more detail. Rutherford adults average of 4.2 had poor mental health each month. For every 1,270 persons, there exists one mental provider. These statistics explain how crucial mental health is a problem among the community of Rutherford. It is an increasingly critical issue in Rutherford County that needs to be addressed.
According to the article, millions of children and adults are placed out of home care, with mental disorders rising daily. The rise of mental cases arises from factors such as homelessness, adult mental disorders, or employment. The study depicts the need for centers to help childhood and adolescents overcome challenges that impact their psychological well-being. The rate of mental issues in the population is increasing, especially among children, adolescents, and adults, due to life’s stressors. The study relates the rates of mental health in juvenile cases concerning out-of-home care. Mental cases in the general population are higher than adolescents in juvenile courts.
I would channel and ask the multidisciplinary team to serve as a coalition to develop solutions and recommendations on mental issues in Rutherford County. The multidisciplinary team includes healthcare professionals from various fields, such as CHNs, public health, and social workers, who can reach the community and teach people about psychological well-being. CHNs working in the community should be able to provide insight and understanding of the population regarding mental issues. The health care stakeholders should ensure that there exist comprehensive solutions to curb the rise of mental issues.
Summary
Community health care needs are significant aspects of the population that should be addressed effectively. The community of Rutherford County is encompassed by various deprivation community health needs, for instance, inadequate housing and uninsured person. The solution to the problems begins when CHNs take up their roles in effectively identifying and addressing some of the factors that can be prevented within the community. Providing access to services to the community reduces the disease transmission level, thus cutting hospital costs. Incorporating the multidisciplinary team in the health sector and the community help provide a coalition group to provide recommendations and solutions to the ongoing problems in the Rutherford County community.
References
Seker, S., Boonmann, C., Gerger, H., Jäggi, L., d’Huart, D., Schmeck, K., & Schmid, M. (2022). Mental disorders among adults formerly in out-of-home care: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31(12), 1963-1982. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-021-01828-0
King, C. J., & Roach, J. L. (2016). Community health needs assessments: A framework for America’s hospitals. Population Health Management, 19(2), 78-80. doi:10.1089/pop.2015.0053
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