Reflective Essay: Experiences in Community Health Nursing Module

This reflective essay details a nursing student's experiences in community health, primarily in South Virginia. The essay explores the differences between community, public, and population health, highlighting the challenges and successes encountered while implementing public health nursing policies. The student reflects on interactions with diverse communities, including minority groups, and the importance of health equity and cultural awareness. The essay discusses community health planning, including the use of windshield surveys to assess health services and socioeconomic characteristics, while also addressing communication challenges due to a lack of cultural awareness. The author reflects on the impact of these experiences on their future practice and the importance of community health nursing services. The student encountered challenges but also contributed to the transformation of health policies, focusing on personalized healthcare. The author emphasizes the need to understand the community and the role of the community health nurse. References are provided for context.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY 1
Personal Reflection
Name
Institution

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 2
Personal Reflection
Module 1
A few months ago while working in South Virginia within a particular community, I met several
patients who were seeking public health services and I tried to understand their experience and
help them realize quality health outcomes. I met with members of the community, minority
groups such as Black Americans, and the general public. Over time as a provided care, it became
clear to me that there was a difference between community health, public health, and population
health. According to studies, community health is primarily organized to ensure the provision of
care around a specified geographic area. Public health is believed to deal with tracking diseases
and preventing injuries ("How Do Population Health, Public Health, Community Health
Differ?", 2019). Population health on the other hand deals with improving the health outcome of
a group sharing a clinical criteria or socioeconomic status.
I however struggled a bit to implement the policies of public health nursing in my practice within
the community. Public health nursing deals with the incorporation of populations and the
community as equal partners in the provision of care to prevent infections and promote health
(Stanhope & Lancaster, 2015). This is an area of nursing that requires unique sills, knowledge,
and competencies. It is a person-centred approach to nursing that extends beyond care for the
sick to health education and social reform. In future, I may look into the government policies
surrounding the government agenda of healthy people 2020 to help in identifying some of the
most preventable threats in the community. I was however successful in trying to promote health
equity and eliminate health disparities within the community which were a direct link to the
objectives of healthy people 2020.

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 3
Module 2
Community health planning may involve the control of environmental hazards and the
prevention of diseases within the community (Eldredge et al. 2016). As a nurse, I know that it is
my duty and responsibility to use community information to understand the problems of
individuals and their families and help in improving their health outcomes. While working within
the same community in South Virginia as a student nurse, I managed to take part in community
health planning. I ensured that I had a mutually beneficial relationship with the members of the
community and this made it easier for me to measure their health status. I also made it my
responsibility to determine the socioeconomic characteristics of this group of people. The goal of
the health planning was to increase the quality of health and reduce the risks of infections.
I, however, struggled with communication because I was not culturally aware of the culture of
the community I was working with. This lack of cultural awareness made the implementation of
the health promotion plan very challenging. Additionally, performing health education was
difficult because the patients trusted people who understood their culture more. These challenges
acted like learning opportunities because I believe the experience will have massive impacts on
my future practice. I believe that I should have prepared adequately before going for the field
practice so as to get an overview of the community I was going to work with and their culture.
Community health nursing services that we offered had several positive impacts on the
community because of the transformation of health policies to focus on personalized healthcare.
Model 3
Community health focuses on identifying the health issues in a community and managing these
issues to meet the demands of the community. Community health nursing deals with the

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 4
promotion of healthful living, prevention of infections and diseases, rehabilitation, treatment of
diseases, community health plan evaluations, and research (Maurer & Smith, 2012). A
community health nurse needs to meet the needs of individuals, families, and the entire
community. Some of the major nursing roles of a community health nurse include care provision,
health education, being an advocate, management of health conditions, collaborating with other
care providers and the community, being a leader, and engaging in research to find solutions to
health issues facing the community (Maurer & Smith, 2012). These roles are properly executed
when one understands the community they are working with.
I used the windshield survey in one of my previous placements among the community members
in one community in South Virginia. A windshield survey is a type of observation made from a
moving vehicle for a big geographical region that cannot be covered on foot (Windshield and
Walking Surveys, 2019). During the survey, I and my team assessed the health services available
within the community. This included an assessment of the number of hospitals and clinics in the
community, their location, their capacity, and the ease of access to these health facilities. We
also assessed the race and ethnicity of the community members to identify the people living in
the community to ensure that we could provide culturally safe care and reduce health disparities
within the community.

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 5
References
Chapter 3. Assessing Community Needs and Resources | Section 21. Windshield and Walking
Surveys | Main Section | Community Tool Box. (2019). Retrieved 29 September 2019,
from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-
resources/windshield-walking-surveys/main
Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Ruiter, R. A., Fernández, M. E., Kok, G., & Parcel, G. S.
(2016). Planning health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach. John
Wiley & Sons.
How Do Population Health, Public Health, Community Health Differ?. (2019). Retrieved 28
September 2019, from https://healthitanalytics.com/news/how-do-population-health-
public-health-community-health-differ
Maurer, F. A., & Smith, C. M. (2012). Community/public health nursing practice: Health for
families and populations. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2015). Public health nursing-e-book: Population-centered health
care in the community. Elsevier Health Sciences.