Role of Community Nursing
Running head: ROLE OF COMMUNITY NURSING IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS
ROLE OF COMMUNITY NURSING IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS
Community health nurses are valued for their adaptability and willingness to provide care in many settings, including community health clinics, churches, homeless shelters, and schools. These nurses provide comprehensive care to patients within their homes, at organized events such as health fairs, and at agencies and institutions serving people who have particular health needs. Community health nurses in communities improve access to care and lower costs at nurse-managed clinics on college campuses and at primary and secondary schools. They develop and implement corporate wellness programs, thereby supporting the health and productivity of employees and their organizations. The roles of community health nurses is directed but not limited to making health care accessible to the public, focusing on the preventive aspect of health care, and educating the community regarding the importance of and necessary actions leading to health care (Medi-Smart, 2006).
Settings for community health nursing can be grouped into several categories. These categories are homes, ambulatory care settings, schools, occupational health settings, residential institutions, and the community at large. Community health nurses practice as home health nurses, hospice nurses, occupational health nurses, parish nurses, school nurses and case managers. The focus of nursing includes not only the individual, but also the family and the community, meeting these multiple needs requires multiple roles. There are several major roles of a community health nurse. Some of these roles are care provider, educator, advocate, manager, collaborator, leader and researcher.
Following is a synopsis of some of the practice settings and type of care that community based nurses provide. Hospitals remain a major site where nurses practice. Hospital nurses provide bedside care and carry out
ROLE OF COMMUNITY NURSING IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS
Community health nurses are valued for their adaptability and willingness to provide care in many settings, including community health clinics, churches, homeless shelters, and schools. These nurses provide comprehensive care to patients within their homes, at organized events such as health fairs, and at agencies and institutions serving people who have particular health needs. Community health nurses in communities improve access to care and lower costs at nurse-managed clinics on college campuses and at primary and secondary schools. They develop and implement corporate wellness programs, thereby supporting the health and productivity of employees and their organizations. The roles of community health nurses is directed but not limited to making health care accessible to the public, focusing on the preventive aspect of health care, and educating the community regarding the importance of and necessary actions leading to health care (Medi-Smart, 2006).
Settings for community health nursing can be grouped into several categories. These categories are homes, ambulatory care settings, schools, occupational health settings, residential institutions, and the community at large. Community health nurses practice as home health nurses, hospice nurses, occupational health nurses, parish nurses, school nurses and case managers. The focus of nursing includes not only the individual, but also the family and the community, meeting these multiple needs requires multiple roles. There are several major roles of a community health nurse. Some of these roles are care provider, educator, advocate, manager, collaborator, leader and researcher.
Following is a synopsis of some of the practice settings and type of care that community based nurses provide. Hospitals remain a major site where nurses practice. Hospital nurses provide bedside care and carry out