This is a community profile that aims to identify a specific health improvement issue within a local geographically determined community. ‘A community profile is an attempt to describe a particular community or neighbourhood. It uses a variety of different techniques to build up a picture of the community from a number of perspectives’ (Barnardos.org.uk, 2004) including several components of a community such as its demographic characteristics, patterns and trends i.e. its epidemiology in order to make comparisons between different localities to determine areas needful of specific health improvements with the goal of improving local people’s health and reducing health inequalities. A core definition of community as distinguished by Macqueen and Mclellan et al (2001) is ‘a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by social ties, share common perspectives, and engage in joint action in geographical locations or settings’.
The purpose of community profiling is to identify and understand health-related issues, inequalities and needs within a community; with the intention of determining the factors that influence people’s health and wellbeing within that given community in order to highlight gaps in provision to contribute towards making positive health improvements and improving the quality of life of the community. Community profiling as a nurse supports an insight into the population and areas of the geographical communities where nursing care is provided. It allows nurses to gain an understanding of the services provision for a particular health issue within a given community and also provides an awareness into the role and responsibilities of the nurse in facilitating access to services.
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...ed to spend 10% or more of their income on fuel costs’ (Newcastle.gov.uk, 2014). Statistics illustrate that 31.4% of children aged 0-16years are living in poverty in Newcastle, this is also more than the England average of 21% (Newcastle.gov.uk, 2014). Living in poverty and fuel poverty can relate to poor quality housing which can negatively ‘impact on wellbeing, physical and social development including school attendance, education and training, teenage pregnancy and crime (Newcastle LA Profile, 2013).
The health of the population in Newcastle upon Tyne is wide-ranging in comparison with the England average; however life expectancy for both men and women in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is lower than the England average, with women living on average 1.3 years less than the England average and men living on average 2.1 years less than the England average (Apho.org.uk, 2013).
The connection between poor living conditions, low income families, and inequality of varying groups go hand in hand when dealing with poverty as discussed in Evicted by Matthew Desmond. These issues are often swept under the rug for those not immersed in the situation and can even be unknown. There is gender inequality which can affect every aspect of life, including dwelling. There is also racial inequality which also renders the quality of life. Both themes have a deeper meaning and are connected at the source of poor education and job discrimination.
Health care providers not knowing their surrounding community impacts the way they provide health care to a patient. I hope to use my background in community work with underrepresented populations and the qualities I gained to hopefully reduce and someday diminish the concern that health care isn’t keeping up with the demographics of the surrounding community. The third health care concern I will talk about is another near and dear to me which is the severely low quality health care women in developing countries receive.
According to Allender, Rector, and Warner (2014), public health is a combination of both an art and a science (2014). The mission of public health nursing is to promote health, prevent disease and ultimately prolong life (Allender et al., 2014). In order for this to occur an assessment must take place. An aggregate or community assessment begins with a collection of data. This includes: the community’s health needs, risks, environmental conditions, financial resources through local census data, and a windshield survey (Allender et al., 2014). Through public health nursing, communities can collectively come together to help promote an overall better health standing.
Nurses around the world collaborate with various providers and partners to address multiple challenges in the community. With emphasize on health promotion and disease prevention, nurses have an important role in delivering nursing services in the community and in the home. Challenges that impact the overall health of the community can arise from unequal access to health care or lack of insurance causing individuals do not receive healthcare. However, all nurses can help improve health outcomes and help to prevent and manage diseases. With the help of community health nurses, public health nurses, and home health nurses, the ability to provide safe and effective care for all sectors of health is possible.
Another focus for change is that over the years the demand for home and community care over hospital care has continued to grow, as stated by the Queens nursing institute “Recent health policy points to the importance of improving and extending services to meet the health and care needs of an increasingly older population and provide services which may have previously been provided in hospital within community settings”.
Yiu, L. (2012). Community care. In L. Stamler & L. Yiu (Eds.), Community health nursing: A Canadian perspective (3rd ed., p. 213, 219, 227). Toronto, Canada: Pearson Canada Inc.
People living in areas such as Playford, has shown to have a lower socioeconomic position, which made them at highest risk of poor health (WHO, 2017). Then, the social determinants of health support the understanding the difference between populations health levels, but also the reasons behind why some groups are healthier than others (Marmot, 2005) and the issue becomes a little bit deeper as people living in different areas related to others differently, so then the social stratification of health is affected by differences in gender, marital status, residential areas and ethnicity (Elstad,
Nursing research is a systematic enquiry that seeks to add new nursing knowledge to benefit patients, families and communities. It encompasses all aspects of health that are of interest to nursing, including promotion of health, prevention of illness, care of people of all ages during illness and recovery (or) towards a peaceful and dignified death (ICN 2009)
an assessment of their community care needs under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990.
Poverty is “the inability to acquire enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter” (Gosselin,2009). This social disadvantage limits one’s ability to receive a quality education and it is a constant problem throughout the world accompanied with“deleterious impacts on almost all aspects of family life and outcomes for children”(Ravallion,1992). Poverty is a main factor that affects normal human growth and development in a variety of ways, primarily impacting children’s early development, social behaviour, health, and self worth.
Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2011). Community/public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (5th ed.). St.Louis, MO: Saunders.
Public Health Nursing (PHN) aims to improve the wellbeing of the population by promoting health and preventing disease among all people in the communities (Public Health Nursing, 2013). The PHN utilizes the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention to help improve the health of the communities. The PHN process is applied to all levels of practice. Interventions are “actions take on behalf of individuals, families, systems, and communities to improve or protect health status” (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, p. 191). This paper will identify PHN interventions such as screening, outreach, and referral and follow-up, health teaching, and counseling that was identified in the PHN in the 21st Century project that this author completed as part of the PHN experience. This paper will also identify if the interventions were at the community, system or individual/family level.
As described by Hatwin and Percy-smith a community profile is ‘A comprehensive description of the needs of a population that is defined, or defines itself, as a community, and the resources that exist within the community, carried out with the active involvement of the community itself, for the purpose of developing an action plan or other means of improving the quality of life of the community.’ (Hawtin and Percy-Smith, 2007, p10). A community profile is a useful and effective way of discovering and developing and understanding about a specific geographical area. Community profiles help to improve service provision and make new plans to reduce health inequalities.
Poverty is a very difficult concept to have an agreed definition or how it should be measured. As a result of lack of common purpose or goals, it is challenging to establish focused solutions that resolve this issue. The Children's Commissioner's Expert Advisory Group define child poverty as to children who "experience deprivation of the material resources and income" that is necessary for them to achieve their full potential and are excluded from the normal patterns of modern life (Children's Commissioner, 2012, p1). These children miss out on opportunities that most members of New Zealand society take for granted. A universal understanding is that there are two types of poverty - absolute or relative. Absolute poverty refers to lack of one or more basic needs (e.g. food and shelter) that is essential for the individual to remain alive, or it can threaten or cause harm to t...
An idea of a healthy community with a safe environment, accessibility to preventive health care services and screenings, education on health promotion that is stress-free and accessible and healthier grocery stores. Characteristics of a healthy community are ideas, activities, and resolutions derived from partnerships of diverse groups, regular self-evaluation that is part of the practice, which is the focus. A diversity of strategies, techniques, documents, and other resources would have to be executed to support and make a healthy community. If an individual 's knowledge of a healthy community is different from his or her belief then community strategy must be put in place in order to begin to achieve the goal of improving health. Community strategy must be supported by the individuals who are working together in order to be successful (Matthew, et al, 2001). In order for a strategy to become effective, a consistent plan should be created with achievable goals within a community. Also individuals that are strong, inspired, and truthful and determined should also carry out the