Community Health Nursing Practice Models (Essay Sample)

Community Health Nursing Practice Models
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Community Health Nursing Practice Models
Introduction
Community health nursing is an integral part of the broader healthcare system. The main distinction between other nurses is that community nurses focus on entire communities as opposed to one-on-one patient care. Several practice models have been developed for community health nursing. The focus of this paper is to offer a description of each practice and outline the nursing roles in each. Additionally, ethical, legal, and financial considerations for community health nursing will be highlighted.
Population-Focused
Population-focused healthcare can be described as a community health nursing practice that involves focusing on entire populations that display similar health characteristics and concerns. The nursing practice entails assessing the needs of the community, considering multiple levels of practice and prevention, and addressing the broader health determinants. According to Joyce et al. (2017), the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has forced the healthcare system to renew its emphasis on population health. Epidemics, including Ebola and Zika, are classic examples of situations where population-focused health has become a necessity.
The major roles of nurses in this practice model include providing treatments to the public, case management, vaccinations and immunizations against illnesses, and service referrals within the specified population groups. In other, the nurses are often responsible for assessing, offering care, and treating populations faced with certain health issues. A good example of these roles can be illustrated using the case of central North Carolina, where nursing students are taught to handle such tasks as assessing health needs, addressing access to healthcare, and examining various challenges in the health of the entire population (Randolph, Evans, & Bacon, 2016). Additionally, the nurses are taught various competencies to help them handle these roles, including the use of surveys, assessment tools, and one-on-one dialogues. Therefore, nurses in population-focused practice are involved in the assessment of health issues and the administration of the necessary interventions.