Question

What are the characteristics of a healthy community versus an unhealthy community?

How do the socioeconomic features of a community (e.g. employment, income, social status, support networks and cultural diversity) promote health or cause ill health?

What are the benefits of using the nursing process in community health nursing practice?

Answer 1

CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY VERSUS UNHEALTHY COMMUNITY

• A healthy community is unaffected by differences(culture,economic status,education etc) but an unhealthy community cannot afford differences and compels to be same.
• A healthy community encourages to be a free thinking individual but an unhealthy community demands to think in a particular way.
• A healthy community is interested in the upliftment and satisfaction of all its members but an unhealthy community does not care about the individual growth and satisfaction.
• A healthy community criticises inequality and unfair decisions whereas an unhealthy community may not be bothered about the circumstances.
• A healthy community maintains high quality of life compared to the unhealthy community.
• A healthy community may have accessible health services than a unhealthy community.
• A healthy community shares available resources whereas, an unhealthy community may not be interested in sharing.

SOCIOECONOMIC FEATURES AND HEALTH

• Higher socioeconomic status promotes better health.The differences in the health status is equally proportional to the socioeconomic status.
• Individuals of lower class are at higher risk of pollution and stress which has a negative impact on their health.
• Limited access to resources for the low socioeconomic status individuals pulls down the health and thus their quality of life diminishes.
• Socioeconomic status of the community is related to the life expectancy and disease prevalence. Higher socioeconomic status greater is  the life expectancy and lesser is the disease prevalence.
• Health outcomes is much poor in the low socioeconomic status individuals when compared with the individuals of high socioeconomic status.
• Unhealthy physical environments in the areas of low socioeconomic status,affects health negatively.
• Premature deaths are reported in higher percentages among low socioeconomic status individuals.

BENEFITS OF USING NURSING PROCESS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING PRACTICE

• Applying nursing process in community health nursing practice helps the client to achieve optimal level of health.
• Planned,organised effective care may be provided with the help of nursing process.
• Nursing process helps the nurse to develop therapeutic inter personal relationships with client in the community.
• Promotes effective communication with the clients on applying nursing process.
• Helps the nurse to focus on the particular disease problem and apply interventions based on the problem promoting quality outcome.
• Through nursing process relevant health information in the community will be figured.
• The nurse could focus on priority nursing interventions needed for the client.
• Helps to achieve the goals set by the community health nurse.
• Nursing process helps to address socioeconomic and environmental problems in the community.