Community health nurses play a crucial role in improving the overall well-being of diverse communities. They focus on promoting health, preventing diseases, and providing care to individuals who may not have access to or cannot afford medical services. Today, we will explore the responsibilities of community nurses, the settings they work in, the challenges they face, and the future of this essential profession.
Who is a community health nurse?
A community health nurse (CHN) is a nurse who specializes in promoting the health of diverse communities. They work with infants, children, teenagers, and adults. These nurses go beyond individual patient care and pinpoint health problems within the assembly. They develop intervention plans, conduct community assessments, and implement health education programs to address the population’s needs.
In Texas, community health nurses work to bridge the gap in healthcare access for underserved populations, particularly those from diverse and culturally different backgrounds. They provide essential services through free health screenings, vaccinations, and other forms of preventative care. By building trust and relationships with individuals and local leaders, community health nurses ensure that healthcare services are more equitable, affordable, and well-coordinated.
Benefits of community health nurses in society
Community health nurses play a vital role in addressing the health needs of communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the U.S., 60% of adults suffer from chronic diseases and conditions acquired within the community. These include cancer, obesity, and heart disease. Community health nurses work within the community to offer services to people with these conditions while educating individuals on prevention strategies.
In particular, community health nurses are crucial in providing essential healthcare services to three specific groups: rural areas, medically underserved populations, and economically disadvantaged communities. These areas often don’t have access to affordable healthcare or educational support for maintaining good health. Community health nurses step in to provide care to those with no medical insurance, people experiencing poverty, and people with limited health literacy, filling the gaps in healthcare services.
Roles and responsibilities of community health nurses
Community health nursing encompasses various subfields and parts, each focusing on improving healthcare for the community. In Texas, some of these roles include:
Program directors in communities
The program director’s role in community health is critical. The core purpose of community health care is to implement preventive measures that will have a great effect on people. As program directors, community nurses must also know how to craft grant applications. This skill comes in handy when applying for government grants. These grants can provide them with the necessary resources to develop initiatives to improve community health. As program directors, community workers should focus on the health of the population, their environment, and their cultural practices.
Program organizers
Organizing programs to prevent or eradicate diseases or for motivational purposes is a task of the community health nurse or public health nurse. This includes assessing the setting, determining the expected outcome, and deciding who will implement the program.
Community health nurses should be able to comprehend the laws, regulations, and protocols within their programs. This could include interpreting statutes, rules, and benchmarks associated with public health, patient care, or medical care within various programs.
Decision-makers in communities
Public health or community nurses act as decision-makers because they must know community-focused practices, laws, goals, philosophies, activities, and experiences more than clinical-focused nurses. They must decide how programs start and run and what actions should be included.
Community advocates
A community-oriented nurse acts as an advocate for patients and community rights. This is one of their most rewarding roles, as they help families and their patients ask for quality care. Whether it’s preventive, rehabilitative, protective, or curative care, they must defend the rights of clients or patients when there is a problem related to their health.
Investigation and research-based roles
The community health nurse must investigate the health requirements of individuals, families, and society. They work hard to identify and present any potential issues and resources associated with the community and gather data through interviews, laboratory analysis, observation, and epidemiological surveys.
Research helps nurses make informed decisions about clients’ problems in the health care system. As community health nurses, they are tasked with reducing mortality and morbidity and increasing their knowledge on promoting the better health of humanity.
Act as nurse practitioners
N.P.s are essential for providing nursing care and must work together with other health professionals to serve in urban or rural underserved areas. A community nurse can offer care to individuals, families, and communities. They can give bed care, administer passive and active exercises to patients, provide hygienic care, provide first aid and emergency care, and treat minor ailments.
They can even act as supervisors for other community health nurses. For this role, they must have in-and-out knowledge of various community programs and qualities such as better judgment, impartiality, and empathy.
Run education programs
Health education programs must adhere to the principles set by public health organizations. They have to gain the attention of their intended audience and achieve their goals. To accomplish this, a community health nurse should use appropriate audiovisual aids, offer effective guidance, ensure feedback, and assess performance to promote retention and knowledge transfer.
The community health nurse must evaluate the value of healthcare activities by assessing the patient or the overall well-being of individuals, families, or society. This is done by looking at life expectancy, infant mortality rate, female education status, maternal mortality rate, crude birth rate, and death rate.
School nurse
They focus on ensuring the safety and overall health of students within a school community. They are critical in managing health emergencies, educating on healthy lifestyle choices, and providing access to the necessary healthcare services.
Behavioral health specialist
They work closely with people to examine their mental and emotional well-being and identify potential issues related to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. They offer mental health services at homes, schools, or other community settings. Behavioral health specialists teach parents and teachers ways to support children’s needs, implement behavior management techniques, and offer support in cases of psychiatric emergencies.
Occupational health nurse
These nurses promote public health by minimizing workplace-associated hazards. They work with employers to help create office spaces that are healthy, carry out training to reduce injuries or risks, offer advice to health professionals on preventative services, and analyze reports to figure out injury patterns indicating safety issues.
Women’s health nurse
Women’s health nurses work in clinics and facilities that offer health services to women. They specialize in health issues specific to women, such as reproductive care and gynecology. Women’s health nurses provide basic services to women of all ages, from family planning to gynecological exams.
Pediatric nurse
Pediatric nurses focus on promoting healthy growth and development in children. They work in maternity wards, outpatient clinics, or as part of school health staff. Pediatric nurses provide care during physical exams, treat minor injuries or illnesses, and educate children on disease prevention, nutrition, and other healthy behaviors.
Clinical research nurse
Clinical research nurses serve as a connection between healthcare providers and clinical trial researchers. They recruit study participants, work with patients throughout the trial process, maintain patient records, and ensure the smooth running of clinical trials. Hospitals, clinics, or academic institutions often employ clinical research nurses.
Community health nurses fulfill these roles by educating communities about healthy lifestyles, providing in-home treatment and support services, conducting health screenings, counseling individuals at risk of illness, describing how insurance works, and participating in community outreach programs.
Areas where community health nurses work
Community health nurses work in various settings, depending on the specific needs of the community and the population served. Some common locations for community health nurses include:
- Healthcare clinics and hospitals
- Physician’s offices
- Nursing homes and retirement communities
- Community shelters
- Veterans’ facilities
- Outpatient and inpatient settings
Other areas where community nurses come in handy are:
- NGOs and other aid organizations – Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross provide disaster relief in addition to daily local needs.
- Community health centers – They offer family planning, sexual health, and other preventative treatments, as well as education.
- Correctional facilities – Community nurses are in charge of limiting the spread of infectious diseases and running educational programs for inmates and staff.
- Government agencies – Here, they work on health policy development and implementation to create large-scale changes within states.
- Homeless shelters – They help emphasize preventative care with screenings and assessments, as well as assisting people to get the necessary social service assistance.
- Schools – Community nurses help educate on illness prevention and good health habits, managing existing health problems, and intervening in situations of abuse or neglect.
The daily duties of community health nurses vary based on factors such as the location (rural or urban) and the population they serve (children, adults, or seniors). These nurses are adaptable and provide care where it is needed most.
The future of community health nurses
Community health nurses have a promising future, driven by the increasing need for accessible and community-based care. The national nursing shortage and the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to fuel job growth for registered nurses, including community health nurses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 9% job growth rate for registered nurses through 2030.
Community health nurses offer unique advantages, including the opportunity to create strong partnerships with clients and communities. They provide collaborative nursing care outside of hospital settings, diverse work environments, and the ability to help vulnerable communities. They provide holistic and individualized care, working convenient schedules with minimal weekend or holiday hours.
However, community health nurses also face challenges. Some of these include concerns for personal safety, inadequate staffing levels, limited management support, and restricted opportunities for career development. Overcoming resistance from the community they serve is another significant challenge. Building trust and ongoing relationships with the community can help community health nurses overcome this challenge and bring about positive changes in healthcare practices.
Qualifications of a community health nurse
To become an effective community health nurse, certain qualifications and qualities are necessary. A minimum requirement is an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Some employers prefer community health nurses with one to two years of nursing experience.
Having ties to the community where they wish to work greatly benefits community health nurses. Participating in volunteer programs and gaining experience in community-based care is strongly encouraged. Certification is also recommended, such as the certification in public health (CPH) for nurses with a bachelor’s degree and at least five years of public health experience.
For registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in community health nursing, their salaries are generally commensurate with those of other RNs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics disclosed that the median yearly remuneration for R.N.s in various areas of expertise was $80,010 as of May 2022. The average annual salary of a nurse practitioner in Texas is $117890. While salaries differ in different locations, wages are generally based on specialty, level of education, and years of experience.
To be a successful community health nurse, one must possess analytical thinking, good communication skills, empathy, clinical reasoning, and innovation. Universities such as Texas Woman’s University offer courses like an online master of science in nursing degree specializing in being a family nurse practitioner. This equips nurses with the practical skills and knowledge needed to help them succeed as community health nurses.
Qualities needed in community health nursing
Interpersonal skills
It is important to have the capacity to interact effectively with others. Having good interpersonal abilities is essential for successful and productive relationships. It involves being able to communicate, manage conflicts, empathize, and build trust. Developing these skills is beneficial for both your professional and personal lives.
Community health nurses must have a wide range of interpersonal skills to work successfully with different people, such as those they treat, their families, and other medical professionals. These abilities may include being understanding, kind, and able to converse easily. To provide an environment where patients can ask questions and feel comfortable about the treatment options, community health nurses need to use their interpersonal skills when dealing with them.
Adaptability
This is a key skill for community health nurses, who must be prepared to modify their treatment plans according to changing circumstances. This flexible approach also helps them respond to unexpected occurrences, such as when a patient does not attend a scheduled appointment or something unforeseen arises.
Collaboration skills
Togetherness is essential for success, which is why collaboration is so important. By joining forces, individuals can accomplish much more than they could on their own. When working together, it is important to remember to respect each other’s ideas and opinions.
Community health nurses often work with other medical professionals like doctors and registered nurses. Additionally, they help their patients comprehend their treatment plan and how to take medications or care for themselves correctly. Furthermore, they can work with community organizations to inform the public about nutrition, exercise, and mental health.
Leadership skills
Community health nurses are often part of a team that includes other medical professionals, like doctors and registered nurses. Their leadership capabilities permit them to take the lead and guide the team toward a common purpose. This is beneficial for giving patients the best care possible that a team of experienced professionals can provide. Additionally, it allows community health nurses to guide their colleagues and foster the emergence of future leaders in the industry.
Conclusion
Community health nurses are vital in promoting health, preventing diseases, and providing care to underserved communities. Their focus extends beyond individual patient care to address the broader needs of a population. These nurses work in various settings, including schools, healthcare clinics, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. The future of community health nursing is promising, driven by the increasing demand for accessible and community-based care.
To become an effective community health nurse, individuals must possess the necessary qualifications, including an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing and licensure as a registered nurse. They should also have ties to the community and consider obtaining certification in public health. Successful community health nurses possess empathy, innovation, and a passion for serving diverse populations.
As community health nurses continue to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of communities, their dedication and commitment to improving healthcare outcomes will shape a healthier future for all.