Published Dec 2, 2010
dianej
2 Posts
I am a senior nursing student and need to finish up a project for Community Health class. We have done an extensive assessment on a specific town and have put all of our information together. I am struggling as to how to complete this paper. The professor wants it written out similar to a care plan. She wants us to have the following:
The only major issue I see in our community is the fact that we do NOT have a disaster plan. I am skilled at writing care plans for individual people, but have no clue about diagnosing and writing a paper for the community.
I also just put my mother in hospice care yesterday and am having a difficult time coping. My semester ends on December 18th, which is around the time the believe my mom will pass. I really could use any help anyone could offer to me.
dudette10, MSN, RN
3,530 Posts
First off, my condolences for the difficult time you and your mom are facing right now. Be sure to use their resources and expertise to help get you through. Hospice isn't just for your mom; it's for you too.
Secondly, don't forget the nursing process with this. Assessment comes first. Your assessment will drive everything else, and there is very little assessment data given in your post. You said that it doesn't have a disaster plan, but is there more?
What did you do to collect your assessment data of the community? Were you able to drive through the community and take a look at it? What did you see? What are the demographics of the area? Is it urban, suburban, or rural? What unique issues do each of those types of communities have and do they apply to your community? Does the community have resources that serve the dominant demographics? If there are a lot of families with children, does it have safe crossing areas, curb cuts, playgrounds (do they look safe), etc. If it's a community of older, retired adults, are the sidewalks in good condition, is there a meals on wheels program serving the area, is there public transportation to major medical facilities? If it's a new immigrant population, what language is predominant? Are there signs in stores, banks, doctors' offices that indicate employees who speak the language? Are there urgent care clinics? What is the average income? Are people uninsured? If so, what resources for care are available? Is there a higher incidence or prevalence of certain diseases or conditions in that community compared to the surrounding area? If so, do you know the root cause? Are those root causes modifiable through policy?
You get the picture. Good luck.
Wow! Sounds so intimidating when I see it all written out. Our group did a community assessment and we did gather all of the data you asked about. The community we selected is a difficult one. I have contacted the health department and spoke with a woman who did an extensive assessment of the area and found it extremely difficult to find any troublesome areas. We have a high incidence of accidents and caridovascular disease, and we also do not have a disaster plan. I happen to live in the community and my children go to school here as well. It's been very hard to try and come up with a diagnosis that makes sense, not to mention one that I can back up with the appropriate facts. I really appreciate your input, thanks for taking the time to respond to me.