COURSE DEVELOPMENT

Community Health Nursing Course Development

Part A

Course Overview

BSN nurses must be prepared to practice and function effectively in a wide range of settings. Community health is considered an integral part of the public health sector. For this reason, it remains part and parcel of efforts to not only improve the health and wellbeing of the masses, but also fend off infectious diseases. This course will equip learners with the skills and knowledge required to function effectively in community health settings.

Weekly Course Module Topics

Weekly Key Concepts

Evidence-Based Active Learning Strategies

Citation of Scholarly Sources Using APA Format

1. Definition and nature of community health nursing

Community health as a specialty concerned with the promotion of the mental and physical health/wellbeing of persons within a certain geographic region.

Pause procedure: At various points during the lecture, learners will be asked to review the notes they have made and seek clarification on various aspects of the same after discussing the lecture content in pairs.

Bachhel and Thaman (2014) make an observation to the effect that the pause procedure happens to be an instrumental active learning approach in efforts to promote retention of key concepts.

2. Objectives of community health nursing

The primary and secondary goals of community health nursing.

Inquiry-based learning: Learners will be actively motivated to share ideas about what purpose community health nursing serves. They will also be asked to float the relevant queries about the goals and objectives of community health nursing.

According to Attard, Berger, and Mackenzie (2021), this active learning strategy comes in handy in fostering problem solving and critical thinking which, according to the authors, happen to be crucial in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related subjects.

3. Stakeholders in community health

Healthcare practitioners, local government, patients, social health groups, charities, etc. as stakeholders in community health.

Concept maps: The diverse roles that stakeholders play in community health as well as possible collaborative engagements between various stakeholders will be demonstrated using a concept map.

It would be prudent to note that in the words of Carr-Lopez, Galal, Vyas, Patel, and Gnesa (2014), concept maps help to facilitate meaningful learning (170).

4. The role BSN nurses play in the promotion of community health

BSN nurses as key players in the promotion of community health and wellbeing.

Team-based learning: Learners will actively collaborate with each other in the completion of tasks meant to promote their understanding of the role of BSN nurses in the promotion of community health.

This particular method, as Faezi, Moradi, Amin, Akhlaghi, and Keshmiri (2018) indicate, has been associated with increased student engagement.

5. Community-based nursing interventions

Assessment, diagnosis, implementation; care coordination; behavior and lifestyle change; self-care support and patient education, etc.

Case study: Students will be divided into groups and asked to go through cases depicting hypothetical scenarios requiring community-based nursing interventions

Bonney (2015) indicates that case study teaching method has been shown to be very effective as a content delivery approach especially in courses rooted in science.

6. Addressing challenges encountered in community nursing

Challenges: Diverse ethical dilemmas, limited management support; personal safety; professional isolation; career development; workplace violence; overtime; low staffing levels.

Brainstorming: On this front, learners will be asked to come up with ideas on the most viable ways of addressing the challenges highlighted. Instructor will offer additional insights.

Case study: Learners will be presented with a case depicting a real-life scenario for discussion purposes. Here, an ethical dilemma could be described and learners asked to present proposed solutions.

Brainstorming, according to Goswami, Jain, and Koner (2017) is a highly effective group creativity method for the formulation of solutions to hypothetical or real-life challenges and problems.

Bonney (2015) is of the opinion that the case study strategy could be instrumental in efforts to develop the ability of learners to apply theoretical concepts in practical scenarios or situations

7. The relevance of cultural competence in community health nursing

Understanding the relevance, impact and influence of cultural as well as social factors on the delivery of care.

Role Playing: In this case, students will be called upon to act out imagined scenarios in which case they simulate interactions between nurses and persons from diverse races, religions, sexual orientations, etc.

This is a very effective leaning strategy owing to the fact that it comes in handy in efforts to promote dynamic interactions among learners thus enhancing learnt material retention (Stevens, 2014).

8. Review of key concepts

Assessment of student comprehension of key course concepts in relation to the nature of community health nursing and role of BSN nurses in the promotion of community health.

Peer-based strategy: Here, learners will be assigned tasks to gauge their comprehension of key concepts. They will then be asked to evaluate each others performance.

Ghesemi, Moonaghi, Heydari (2020), make an observation to the effect that this is an effective approach in efforts to ensure that learners better understand the relevant content and gather new insights i.e. in the light of the feedback that they get from their peers.

Part B

1.

How the learner would benefit from the course

From the onset, it would be prudent to note that the primary goal of this particular course happens to be enabling the learner identify and understand the role that the BSN nurse plays in the promotion of community health. Towards this end, learners will benefit by being equipped with the skills necessary to thrive and play an active and effective role in community healthcare settings. This happens to be one of the most crucial aspects of the course overview, i.e. ensuring that learners have not only the knowledge, but also the skills needed to improve the health and wellbeing of members of the community while at the same time helping in efforts to either fend off or contain infections illnesses specifically during this period when the nation (and indeed the whole world) has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specific concepts emphasized in the course

The course identifies a number of concepts that would be instrumental in euipping learners with the knowledge, knowhow, and capabilities needed to serve effectively in community health settings. The said concepts are inclusive of; community health nursing key objectives, community health stakeholders, BSN nurses as key players in community health, strategies that could be deployed in efforts to address common challenges encountered by nurses serving in community health settings, and cultural competency. To a large extent, these concepts align with the course overview in the sense that they are instrumental in efforts to mold and equip nurses with skills and capabilities necessary to ensure that are ready and willing to secure the health and wellbeing of people in diverse settings and in this case, at the community level.

Relevance to professional nursing practice

There is need to ensure that nurses possess the skills and capabilities needed to work or function in diverse healthcare settings. This is the only way that the profession would be able to fulfill its mandate of promoting the health and wellbeing of entire populations. Nurses must, thus, be aware of the fact that at any point of their service, they could be called upon to offer healthcare services in various settings, i.e. in community healthcare settings. Thanks to the various concepts emphasized in the course, the profession will benefit by having well-equipped professionals ready to address the unique health challenges that communities grapple with. Equipping the next generation of nurses with the skills and knowledge required to function effectively, which is a key objective of the course, will be instrumental in efforts to ensure that there are no manpower shortages in this realm going forward.

2.

Week 1 (Definition and nature of community health nursing): This module topic will seek to ensure that learners are aware of what community health nursing entails and the role that community health nursing plays in the promotion of the mental as well as physical health of people living within a certain jurisdiction or area. This module topic will serve as a foundation for the further exploration of more specialized course concepts.

Week 2 (Objectives of community health nursing): The goal in this case will be to ensure that learners are acquainted with the primary as well as secondary goals of community health nursing. For learners to be able to align with the role they are to play in community settings as BSN nurses, they need to be familiarized with the core basis of community health. Thus, this will be an introductory piece for Week 4 topic.

Week 3 (Stakeholders in community health): There will be need to ensure that learners identify all those parties that have an interest in community health. Some of the key stakeholders that will be highlighted in this case are: healthcare practitioners (including the nurses themselves), local government, patients, social health groups, charities, etc. Learners cannot be able to comprehend their role as BSN nurses in the realm of community health if they are not aware of the collaborators, partners, and professionals they will be working alongside. This topic will, thus, be supportive of the other core topics.

Week 4 (The role BSN nurses play in the promotion of community health): What roles do BSN nurses, as key stakeholders in community health, play in the promotion of the health and wellbeing of members of a community? This will be the central issue addressed in this case. This particular topic could be deemed central to the course. This is more so the case given that it delves deeper into the future mandate of learners in this case as key players in community health.

Week 5 (Community-based nursing interventions): There will be need to ensure that learners are aware of community health-specific interventions and health promotion efforts. The core objective of week 4 would be unmet if learners are not oriented into the primary health promotion interventions at the community level.

Week 6 (Addressing challenges encountered in community nursing): BSN nurses are not likely to succeed in their health promotion efforts at the community level if they cannot identify and address some of the challenges they encounter in the line of duty. This module will equip learners with the ability to identify challenges/issues and problems they encounter in the course of executing their mandate as community health nurses. It should be noted that this also happens to be a key supportive topic as it prepares learners to better execute their mandate with specific reference to week 4 and 5.

Week 7 (The relevance of cultural competence in community health nursing): Unlike was the case many years ago, our communities have largely become cosmopolitan settings hosting people from diverse races, religions, ways of life, etc. Future community health nurses need to be skilled in the art of relating well with persons regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. This is topic of relevance to the entire course as it is supportive of the role of the BSN nurse in promoting community health. This is more so the case given that lack of cultural competency is likely to hinder the performance of health promotion roles in community settings.

Week 8 (Review of key concepts): The course would be meaningless if learners fail to grasp key concepts of relevance to community health nursing. This module will gauge and evaluate learner comprehension of key course concepts in relation to the nature of community health nursing and role of BSN nurses in the promotion of community health. Thus, this is an overview or revision topic to enhance retention of course content.

3.

According to Dyson and McAllister (2019), student centered learning largely relates to inverting the traditional teacher-centered understanding of the learning process and putting students at the center of the learning process (197). It should be noted...…the walls of curiosity of decision-making, problem-solving, discussions and more (497). In seeking the most valid approach to address the ethical dilemma presented, learners would essentially be applying the concepts they have come across in theoretical settings to a practical situation. They would also be motivated to supplement the knowledge they have already acquired in class with well-thought-out ideas and solutions. Thus, the case study would also be expanding the perspectives of students beyond the classroom.

Part D

In seeking to further enhance inter-professional collaboration as well as teamwork, I will be seeking to advance outcomes that are essentially student-centered in diverse learning environments, i.e. in face-to-face learning environments, online learning environments, and clinical learning environments.

To begin with, when it comes to face-to-face learning environments, I could seek to encourage group activities and collaboration between peers in the handling of various tasks. In this case, I would be actively involved in nurturing group engagements as well as relationships from the onset. This is especially important given tat learners might need some help while navigating the various stages of team development. In seeking to promote interprofessional collaboration, learners could engage in role plays in which case scenarios are designed to reflect interactions between various professionals. This would be a beneficial exercise in efforts to ensure that learners understand (and appreciate) the roles of other stakeholders in practice settings.

Secondly, in online learning environments, I would actively make use of online discussion boards to foster teamwork. Indeed, according to Schmeck (2013), one of the most viable formats of promoting learner engagement happens to be online discussion boards. In this case, I could trigger learner conversations by posting discussion questions on a daily basis. The questions in this case, which would ideally be open-ended, could be designed to make learners achieve deeper comprehension of course materials. Teamwork will in this case be advanced as learners engage each other on the various course topics and, from time to time, rope me in as the course instructor to offer direction and clarify concepts. When it comes to promoting interprofessional collaboration, learners could in this case be paired with peers in other disciplines such physiotherapy, radiography, respiratory therapy, etc. One approach that would come in handy on this front is simulation. Here, simulation would be used in efforts to replicate scenarios that take place in real-life clinical settings. On this front, learners can learn to take into consideration each others perspectives and appreciate the input of peers in diagnostic and/or treatment scenarios.

Third, in as far as clinical learning environments are concerned, I could also seek to incorporate simulation. As has been indicated above, simulation could be perceived as an approach that makes active use of role-playing and artificial learning settings that mimic real-world scenarios, i.e. a patient assessment session. The goal in this case would be to ensure that learning takes place in an environment deemed safe, but enabling. Thanks to simulation, interprofessional collaboration can be effectively and efficiently promoted by roping in participants from other disciplines in carefully designed activities. For instance, students could in this case be paired with peers in dietetics as well as physiotherapy in field engagements. One strategy that could be deployed in this endeavor is service learning projects whereby learners are engaged in community undertakings presenting them with an opportunity to not only learn about the specific community health engagements, but also collaboration in community health settings.

Part E

The abilities of students to learn can be influenced by a wide range of factors. Some of these factors are the cultural, societal as well as life experiences of the said students. It would be prudent to assess how each of these could affect the learning ability of my nursing students.

Cultural Experiences

It is important to note that as Dyson and McAllister (2019) observe, culture affects not only our behavior, but also how we relate with others and our perception of things. Thus, in my case, students could relate in diverse formats (i.e. in team/group engagements) with their peers based on the beliefs and customs they have been exposed to in the past. This would in effect affect their participation in group engagements. I am also aware of Dyson and McAllister (2019) assertion to the effect that cultural differences can also affect how students understand content, because students from different cultures may not have in common the cultural experiences needed to comprehend many texts and concepts (313).

Societal Experiences

Learners could be exposed to a wide range of social standards and expectations that in effect affect how they approach problems and integrate content at the macro level. This is more so the case in relation to student encounters with social injustices, discrimination, as well as inequality. Their insight about various core course concepts could be based on these encounters.

Life Experiences

Diverse life encounters could have an impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of learners. This is more so the case in relation to traumatic exposures and chance encounters with situations that could trigger stress and/or depression. In turn, this could affect the ability of learners to focus on their education and negatively impact their course material retention capabilities.

Part F

There are various learning theories that could come in handy in the development of a nursing education course. One such theory happens to be the cognitive learning theory. In basic terms, this particular theory, as Dyson and McAllister (2019) observe, largely concerns itself with the way a person receives information, organizes it, stores it, and retrieves it. Thus, as the authors further indicate, on this front, learners are actively involved in the way they process information (Dyson and McAllister, 2019, p. 95). In the development of a nursing education course, this theory would likely influence the choice of learning strategies to be used in the dissemination of…