Community Health Nursing Importance

Different communities have depended on nurses for an extended period to perform vital services during labor and delivery, injury, and severe illnesses. Murdaugh et al. (2019) explain that healthcare providers have started to focus not only on an individual’s health but on the improvement of societal well-being and safety. Public or community health nurses have played a crucial role in enhancing the population’s fitness and reducing disabilities and diseases. This holistic approach draws on nursing knowledge, public health, and social sciences (Murdaugh et al., 2019). Therefore, it is essential to understand the role of community nurses, their impacts on patients’ families, and the barriers they face in society.

Public nurses are found in different community areas, such as schools, health centers, government agencies, correctional facilities, and aid organizations. Li et al. (2019) explain that their primary role is to provide treatment to individuals, incorporating skill expansion, holism, and well-being promotion. Community health nurses also provide education by assessing people’s knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes and developing the best fitness education approach (Murdaugh et al., 2019). This helps individuals to learn about managing severe illnesses and making the right decisions. The advocacy role is another crucial responsibility of the public clinicians. Every patient should receive humane and equal treatment; therefore, the physicians ensure they get quality care.

Community health nurses encourage individuals to take the appropriate drugs when sick, seek proper medical assistance, and maintain fitness by eating the right foods. Murdaugh et al. (2019) explain that community nurses also play managerial roles by assessing clients’ needs, organizing and planning to meet those requirements, and ensuring that better results are achieved. These nurses play a leadership role because they instruct, persuade or influence society to effect changes that will positively impact their health (Murdaugh et al., 2019). They conduct systematic investigations, data collection, and analysis and use the results to enhance their services and improve people’s health in the community.

Millions of adults spend significant time caring for family members with diseases and disabilities worldwide. Murdaugh et al. (2019) state that these caregivers work without support, pay, training, or formal education. However, community nurses have played a crucial role in helping guardians in the family, which alleviates their burdens. The clinicians train the families of patients to offer skilled care so that the sick can live longer in the home setting (Li et al., 2019). This is done by ensuring that the caregivers are physically and mentally fit to cope with a patient’s condition. Additionally, coaching assists the caregivers in avoiding long-term healthcare facilities. Therefore, community healthcare providers educate the guardians about the essentiality of staying healthy and maintaining hygiene when looking after their sick kin.

Home-based care is crucial because it reduces costs, emergency department visits, and hospitalization. However, Li et al. (2019) explain that implementing successful programs poses significant difficulties and risks. For example, some people might prefer hospitals to homes to avoid neglect, embarrassment, or abuse. The clinicians’ concerns are another home-based care challenge because healthcare providers might hesitate to keep the patients at home for various reasons (Li et al., 2019). For instance, caring for patients at home is time-consuming and can limit the number of sick people that care teams focus on serving. Additionally, community nurses might experience safety issues if the areas have a history of crimes. Healthcare providers and patients need supporting infrastructure during treatment. However, accessing the necessary equipment is sometimes difficult, making the treatment and care challenging (Li et al., 2019). Patient care and safety are a concern because the caregivers have inadequate education and training.

Home care services access is important to individuals with long-term diseases and disabilities. They are also essential to people who require short-term medical assistance when they are discharged from health care organizations (Murdaugh et al., 2019). However, patients who live in urban areas get home-based care more efficiently and effectively than those in rural areas. For example, many individuals in towns have health care insurances that pay for most or all medical bills (Li et al., 2019). On the contrary, there is a high possibility that people in the countryside are uninsured. Additionally, the number of physicians in rural areas is less than in towns which adversely affects the patient-physician ratio. For example, there are less than 11% of healthcare providers against the 20% rural population in the United States (Li et al., 2019). The healthcare sector in urban areas is developed, making it easier to access advanced services and tests, which might be difficult in the countryside.

In summary, community health nurses play a primary role in enhancing the well-being of people. These care teams educate and train caregivers on the importance of taking good care of the patients by maintaining safety and hygiene. However, home-based care initiation is faced with challenges such as clinicians’ concerns, patients’ safety, preferences, and access to the necessary healthcare equipment. Living in towns increases the possibility of getting better home care services than residing in the countryside.

References

Li, B., Li, Z., & Wan, Q. (2019). Effects of the work practice environment, work engagement and work pressure on turnover intention among community health nurses: Mediated moderation model. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(12), 3485-3494. Web.

Murdaugh, C. L., Parsons, M. A., & Pender, N. J. (2019). Health promotion in nursing practice. Pearson.