Community Nursing: Definition Of Community Health

Define Community Heath Community health has many different definitions. These definitions can vary depending on the community you are looking at. Different communities have a variety of needs unique to them. The word community can take on several meanings. It can be used to describe a group of people living in the same place or a group of people sharing the common interest, attitudes or goals. “In the United States, the field of community health is anchored in a rich history of innovations in public health methods and programs directed at reducing the risk factor prevalence, decreasing acute and chronic disease burden and injury occurrence, and promoting health” (Goodman et al. 2014, p. S58). The term health can be described as being

Many times they are the only health care contact the members of these communities have. As a community health nurse, you must be able to adapt to varying locations and clientele. They have to provide services to some of the most medically fragile clients while having minimal resources available to them. These nurses provide care to patients from birth to the elderly. According to Meadows (2009), “ Community or public health nurses may specialize in areas such as home care; case management; clinical, school, or corporate nursing; or pharmaceutical sales.” (Meadows, 2009, p. 19). Some community health nurses choose to advance their nursing knowledge in order to become involved with higher education or research. Due to the ever changing needs of the client they provide care for, community health nurses must have a vast knowledge in many areas of

The main achievements include: immunizations, motor vehicle safety, work place safety, control of infectious disease, declines in deaths from heart disease and stroke, safer and healthier foods, healthier mothers and babies, family planning, fluoridation of drinking water to prevent dental caries, and the reduction of tobacco use. As stated by the Centers for Disease Control (2015) in regards to the achievements of community health, “these achievements are a reminder of "how far we've come, how we got here, and exactly what public health is: the active protection of our nation's health and safety, credible information to enhance health decisions, and partnerships with local minorities and organizations to promote good health." (CDC.gov, 2015). Another achievement is the establishment of the patient centered medical home. According to Shi (2017), the patient centered medical homes are, “non-profit, community directed health care providers serving low-income and medically underserved communities” (Shi, 2017, p. 986). The expansion of community health has increased the overall well being and life expectancy of the United