Community Health is kicking my b**t!

One of the biggest thing learned in nursing school ---> prioritizing... yes it's hard..

I feel for you! I am in Community Health right now, I and understand your pain...

We have to implement these massive aggregate projects backed by research and the hole nine yards. It works really well to try and get a group of six busy students together at the same time week after week!

I think what makes it even worse is that I have no interest in working in public health. I guess we just have to suck it up and take it as a learning experience-- even if it's something we'd rather just skip!

Remember, the semester is almost over-- the end is in sight!

My community health class was the same way. I think they have an inferiority complex since it's not on the NCLEX and no one cares that much so they make it a lot of work to justify it's importance or something

Ok.... I understand your frustrations. When I was in nursing school we didnt have a class on Community Health. I had worked in home health prior to nursing school. But let me add some insight that may help you change your minds about community health.

Over the last few years, insurance companies have shortened the length of stay in hospitals for patients. What may have allowed a week or longer in the hospital say 10 or 15 yrs ago, only allows 2-3 days now. Patients are going home sicker, MUCH sicker. They have just came out of the hospital, they have a ton of new meds that the physician prescribed, they dont know what they are for, they dont know about their diagnosis. They are scared. They may come home on IV antibiotics that in the past was only given in the hospitals. They dont know anything about an IV. They may have had a major abdominal operation that has gotten infected. They now have this gaping wound in their stomach, and have a contraption (a wound vac) attached to them that makes this horrible sound 24/7. They dont know that it isnt supposed to be making a hissing sound. A patient may come home with a new trach in their throat, or a family member may now have to take care of a patient at home on a ventilator. They have no idea how to take care of it, because the teaching that they received at the hospital was minimal or they were so overwhelmed that they couldnt comprehend anything. You may have a new teenage mother that knows nothing about taking care of an infant and has a horrible support system. That baby may need to be under a bili light, or may need IV meds. You may have a patient who has no support system at all. No one to help care for that patient and the community health nurses are the only people that they patient ever sees. In steps the community health nurses to allow the patient or caregiver to vent their frustrations, the nurse educates them how to manage the issues at home, to help the patient stay at home longer with their family, the nurses teach the medications, how to do the IVs, how to troubleshoot the wound vacs, the vents etc. They teach them things about their diagnosis or meds that they previously had no clue about. The nurse help the patients and family maintain their independence.

The nurses can get a social worked to come into the home to evaluate the finanical needs to assist with paying for medications so that the patient doesnt have to choose between paying their light bill or paying for their monthly presecription of their heart or blood pressure medicine. Or doesnt have to choose between buying food or medicine. The social workers can help the family apply for subisdy programs to help with the expenses of hospital bills or doctors visits so that the patient doesnt wait until its too late to seek medical help because they cant afford their co pays. Eventually it may get to the point to where the patient can no longer be cared for at home and the social worker and the nurse can assist with long term planning for nursing home placement for the family.

Some people think that community health nursing is not real nursing. That is the silliest thing that I have ever heard. As a community health nurse, you have to know everything about your patient, you have to know their meds, to be able to teach the patient about them, you have to know more than one particular body system and diagnosis, you have to have superior assessment skills because you are the only one in the home, you dont have the monitors, the other departments, the other nurses to help run stat tests etc. You take care of the whole patient and the family. It is the most holistic nursing that anyone can ever do.

The paperwork, yes it is horrendous. Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast. There are so many rules and regulations that the insurance companies place on community health. You have to document, every little thing, and document it in more places than one, you have to paint a picture of that patient. If you dont, then the agency may not be reimbursed for all of its services, they may deny payment and then it causes the family or patient more heart ache and burden because now they have to pay that bill.

Your instructor may be trying to get you to see the whole picture of the patient with all the work that she is requiring you to do. Maybe she isnt explaining it the way that it needs to be explained. Hopefully what I have shared here will help make the assignments a little more clear or may give some insight to them as to why they are required.

Good luck with the class, if you need any help just let me know!

Cheer @ Cardiotrans. That was a very good outlook you gave for this. The work might be hard but it has to be done.

Community and Public Health was a stressful course. But then again, aren't they all? :)

All you can do is study hard, like in any other course and hope for the best. I remember that class had so many clinical hours...oh my goodness. I had to drive all over town looking for obscure clinical sites and spending 6-7 hours at those sites.

But, I can say when it's over regardless of if you make an A, B, or C it's worth it. You do learn alot and realize that nursing isn't just limited to the hospital.

It isnt going to be easy friend. Just do your best, its all you can do! Keep up the good work!

Yikes! We have one thing to do for our community clinical which is a presentation :) I am very happy!