The role of community health nurses in their communities

Nursing

Community Health Nurse

The profession of community health nurses is often thought of as a role of primary prevention. They work to prevent disease, injury, disability and premature death. Community health nurses work very closely with other public health professionals including environmental health experts, health educators, public health physicians, epidemiologists and nutritionists. As a member of this team, they work with local communities to assess and prioritize the major health problems and work on a plan to alleviate or eliminate these problems and the conditions that contribute to them (Public Health Nursing, 2010).

These nurses are able to help individuals and families to take action to improve their health status. Frequently this is done by teaching people about healthy lifestyle choices in the home, in the workplace, and in community settings. They help people in adopting improved health behavior choices to their everyday lives. Some personal behaviors that can contribute to health problems include tobacco use, improper diet, unsafe sexual practices, lack of physical exercise, and driving while intoxicated (Public Health Nursing, 2010).

Community health nurses are aware that the community and environment in which people live can affect their ability to make healthy lifestyle choices and can affect whether or not such choices even exist. They often spend a significant portion of their time on ensuring healthy living conditions in the neighborhoods where they work and on improving the health status of the entire community, not just that of individuals. Instances of community issues on which the public health nurse may work are reducing tobacco sales to minors, fluoridation of drinking water, identifying and reducing workplace hazards, immunization of all children against communicable diseases, and reducing the risk of drowning through community education, pool safety, and construction regulation (Public Health Nursing, 2010).

A community health nursing professional, is often asked to provide access to health care to many who are not able to afford medical services. Their patients include poor and uninsured populations from culturally and economically diverse backgrounds. Not only do they treat patients, they also connect them with other necessary health services they may require (Become a Public Health Nurse, 2010).

A community health nurse can work in many different settings. These include working in patient's homes along with community centers. There are occasions to use a nursing degree in facilities that treat patients 24 hours a day, along with schools and businesses (Become a Public Health Nurse, 2010).

Nurses who work in this type of work often work in government along with private agencies and clinics. They concentrate on working with individuals, groups, and families in order to advance the overall health of the community. They educate about health care issues such as tobacco use, disease prevention such as H1N1, nutrition including obesity, and childcare. They also work with leaders in the community such as teachers, parents, and physicians (Community Health Nursing, 2009).