Key Concepts in Community Health Nursing • Key constructs include perceived

susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to

Community health nursing takes a holistic approach action, and self-efficacy.
to health. It targets individuals, families, and • Limitation: Focuses heavily on the
groups, focusing on health promotion, disease client’s perceptions without addressing systemic
prevention, and health education. This approach healthcare barriers.
addresses physical, social, and environmental 3. Milio’s Framework of Prevention
aspects of well-being. • Complements the Health Belief
Model by including social determinants (economic,
1. WHO’s Perspective: CHN political) in health behaviors.
combines nursing, public health, and aspects of • Highlights the role of societal and
social assistance. policy-level factors influencing health behaviors.
2. Philosophy (Dr. Margaret 4. Pender’s Health Promotion Model
Shetland): Values human dignity, emphasizing • Examines factors influencing
respect for each individual’s worth in health health-promoting activities, such as prior behaviors,
services. personal factors, and commitment.
• Emphasizes intrinsic and extrinsic
Principles of Community Health Nursing (CHN) motivators beyond threat-based interventions.
5. Trans-theoretical Model (Stages of
CHN is guided by these foundational principles: Change)
• Assumes behavior change is a
1. Client Needs: The practice is driven staged process: pre-contemplation, contemplation,
by the needs of individuals, families, and preparation, action, and maintenance.
communities. • Useful in guiding clients through
2. Goal Achievement: Knowledge of personalized interventions based on readiness to
objectives facilitates efficient care delivery. change.
3. Family as Service Unit: The family 6. Precede-Proceed Model Dr. Lawrence W. Green
is considered the primary unit for CHN services. • A comprehensive framework for
4. Respect for Beliefs: Culturally community diagnosis, planning, and evaluating
sensitive care respects clients’ values, beliefs, and health programs.
customs. • Phases:
5. Health Education: Educates and • PRECEDE: Diagnosis steps (social,
encourages communities toward self-care and epidemiological, behavioral, educational).
preventive health. • PROCEED: Implementation and
6. Collaborative Approach: CHN evaluation phases, including process, impact, and
requires teamwork within the healthcare sector. outcome evaluations.
7. Evaluation: Ongoing assessment to
measure CHN goals.
8. Staff Development: Continuous Additional Resources
education ensures high-quality care.
9. Resource Utilization: Leverages • Nightingale’s Contribution:
local resources for successful interventions. Florence Nightingale laid the groundwork for CHN
10. Community Involvement: with principles on environmental factors in health.
Empowers communities to participate in healthcare • Modern Theorists: Works by
decisions. Dorothy Johnson, Sister Callista Roy, and Jean
11. Qualified Supervision: Ensures Watson emphasize community aspects in health
guidance for nursing services. and well-being.
12. Accurate Documentation: Records
are critical for evaluation and legal references.

Theoretical Models in Community Health

Nursing Different fields of CHN

1. General Systems Theory

• Views clients as an “open system,” 1. School Health Nursing
interacting with their environment.
• Family structures and interactions Definition:
with community resources impact health. School Health Nursing focuses on the health and
2. Health Belief Model well-being of students within the educational
• A behavior-focused model system. School nurses work to promote health,
explaining why individuals engage or don’t engage prevent illness, and manage chronic conditions
in health-promoting behaviors. within the school setting, ensuring that children are
healthy, safe, and ready to learn.
Basic Concepts:
• Mental Health Promotion: Working
• Health Education: Teaching with individuals and groups to improve mental
students about healthy habits, disease prevention, well-being, resilience, and social support systems.
and health maintenance. • Early Intervention and Prevention:
• Preventive Services: Providing Identifying mental health risks and providing early
vaccinations, screenings (vision, hearing), and intervention services to prevent the escalation of
early identification of health issues. mental health issues.
• Management of Chronic • Case Management: Assisting
Conditions: Supporting students with chronic clients in managing mental illnesses through
diseases like asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy by individualized care plans, medication management,
creating care plans and educating teachers on and therapy referrals.
management strategies. • Community-Based Services:
• Emergency Care: Addressing Offering care through outpatient clinics, home
injuries and acute illnesses during school hours. visits, or community centers, ensuring people
• Collaboration: School nurses work receive mental health care without being
with teachers, parents, and health care providers to institutionalized.
support student health and ensure a safe school • Advocacy and Education:
environment. Educating the public on mental health issues to
reduce stigma and advocate for mental health
2. Occupational Health Nursing resources and policies that support community
mental health.
Definition:
Occupational Health Nursing (OHN) is a specialty These fields play a vital role in addressing specific
that focuses on promoting and maintaining the health needs within different environments, all
health and safety of workers in various industries. contributing to the broader goal of improving
Occupational health nurses work to prevent community health.Concepts of the Community
work-related injuries and illnesses and help
maintain a safe work environment. A. Types of Communities

Basic Concepts: 1. Geographic Community:

This type of community is defined by physical
• Workplace Hazard Identification: boundaries, such as cities, towns, or
Assessing potential physical, chemical, biological, neighborhoods. Members of the community live in
and ergonomic hazards in the workplace. proximity to each other and share the same
• Health Surveillance: Conducting environmental, social, and economic conditions.
regular health assessments, screening for 2. Demographic Community:
diseases, and monitoring employees for signs of A demographic community is defined by the
work-related health issues. characteristics of its population, such as age,
• Injury and Illness Prevention: gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.
Implementing programs and education to reduce Examples include senior citizen communities, youth
the risk of occupational injuries and illnesses, such communities, or immigrant groups.
as ergonomics training or protective equipment 3. Functional/Interest-Based
use. Community:
• Case Management: Helping Communities formed around shared interests,
workers recover from injuries or illness and purposes, or functions. This includes professional
facilitating their safe return to work through organizations, religious groups, or environmental
rehabilitation and modified work plans. advocacy groups. These communities may not be
• Compliance with Health defined by geography but by common goals and
Regulations: Ensuring that workplaces meet local, activities.
national, or international health and safety 4. Virtual Community:
standards. A virtual or online community exists in cyberspace,
where individuals connect through digital platforms,
3. Community Mental Health Nursing social media, or forums to interact, share
information, and form relationships without the
Definition: limitations of geographic boundaries.
Community Mental Health Nursing focuses on
providing mental health care in community settings B. Characteristics of a Healthy Community
rather than institutionalized care. It aims to promote
mental health, prevent mental illness, and provide 1. Safe and Clean Environment:
care and support to individuals with mental health A healthy community ensures clean air, water, and
disorders within their communities. sanitation, with safe housing, low pollution levels,
and minimal environmental hazards.
Basic Concepts: 2. Access to Health Services:
Community members have easy access to health • Geographic Features:
care services, including hospitals, clinics, mental Communities in rural, urban, or coastal areas
health services, and preventive health care. experience different environmental health risks,
3. Education and Health Literacy: such as access to clean water, air quality, or
Quality education is available to all, and community exposure to natural disasters.
members are knowledgeable about health issues • Access to Resources: Proximity to
and practices, enabling them to make informed health care facilities, schools, markets, and
decisions about their health. employment opportunities greatly affects the health
4. Economic Opportunities: and well-being of community members.
A healthy community offers stable employment • Climate and Environmental
opportunities, fair wages, and access to resources Conditions: Communities in harsh climates or with
like food, housing, and healthcare. frequent natural disasters may face challenges
5. Strong Social Support Networks: related to housing, food security, and disease
Community members have a sense of belonging, prevention.
strong interpersonal relationships, and mutual 3. Social Systems Within the
support from family, friends, and neighbors. Community:
6. Active Community Engagement: • Family Structure: The composition
Residents are involved in decision-making, of families (nuclear, extended, single-parent) and
community planning, and initiatives that affect their the support systems they provide can influence
health and well-being, promoting empowerment health outcomes, particularly for children, the
and collaboration. elderly, and disabled individuals.
7. Low Levels of Disease and Crime: • Education System: A strong
A healthy community has low rates of infectious educational system contributes to better health
diseases, chronic health conditions, and crime, with outcomes by promoting health literacy and life
preventive measures and security in place. skills.
• Healthcare System: Availability and
C. Components of a Community quality of health services, including hospitals,
clinics, and health professionals, play a critical role
1. People (Population): in community health.
The individuals and groups that make up the • Community Organizations: The
community, including their demographic presence of social, cultural, and religious
characteristics, such as age, gender, occupation, organizations provides support, encourages social
and cultural backgrounds. cohesion, and promotes collective health initiatives.
2. Place (Location):
The physical environment or geographic area These elements shape how communities function
where the community exists. This includes natural and directly influence the overall health and
resources, infrastructure, climate, and accessibility well-being of their members. Understanding these
to essential services. concepts is essential in designing effective health
3. Interaction/Communication: interventions and policies tailored to the needs of
The relationships and interactions among specific communities.
community members, including how they
communicate, organize, and cooperate to meet
common needs and goals. E. Roles and Activities of the Community Health
4. Common Goals and Interests: Nurse (CHN)
Communities often share collective values, norms,
traditions, and objectives, which guide their actions, Community Health Nurses (CHNs) play a vital role
influence decision-making, and promote cohesion. in promoting public health and improving the
well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
D. Factors Affecting the Health of the Their roles are diverse and tailored to meet the
Community needs of the community. Here are the key roles and
activities they engage in:
1. Characteristics of the Population:
• Age Distribution: Communities with 1. Health Educator
a high proportion of elderly or children may face
different health challenges, such as higher CHNs provide education to individuals, families,
demands for geriatric care or pediatric services. and the community on health-related topics to
• Health Literacy: The community’s promote healthy behaviors and prevent disease.
understanding of health issues and how to prevent
or manage them affects overall health outcomes. • Activities:
• Socio-economic Status: Income • Conduct health education
levels, employment rates, and education impact campaigns (e.g., on nutrition, hygiene, smoking
access to health care, nutrition, and living cessation).
conditions. • Organize workshops or seminars on
2. Location of the Community: disease prevention and health promotion.
 • Distribute educational materials such • Participate in or lead research
as pamphlets, posters, or videos on various health projects on health trends, disease prevention, or
issues. health interventions.
• Analyze health data to identify
2. Advocate emerging health issues and recommend solutions.

CHNs serve as advocates for the health needs of 6. Case Manager

the community, ensuring that individuals have
access to the care and resources they need. CHNs coordinate comprehensive care for
individuals and families, ensuring that they receive
• Activities: all necessary health services across different levels
• Assist individuals in navigating the of care.
healthcare system to get the care they need.
• Advocate for policies that improve • Activities:
public health (e.g., affordable healthcare, • Develop care plans for patients with
vaccination programs). complex needs, such as those with chronic
• Work with local government and conditions or disabilities.
organizations to address community health • Monitor patient progress and adjust
concerns and improve living conditions. care plans as needed.
• Coordinate referrals to specialists,
3. Care Provider mental health professionals, or social services.

CHNs deliver direct care to individuals and families 7. Community Organizer

in their homes, schools, workplaces, and other
community settings. CHNs mobilize community members and resources
to address local health issues and improve public
• Activities: health.
• Provide nursing care, such as
wound care, medication administration, and chronic • Activities:
disease management (e.g., diabetes or • Organize community health
hypertension). initiatives, such as vaccination drives or health
• Perform health assessments and fairs.
screenings (e.g., blood pressure monitoring, • Collaborate with local leaders,
immunization administration). schools, and organizations to address community
• Offer maternal and child health health needs.
services, including prenatal and postnatal care. • Facilitate the formation of health
support groups (e.g., for new mothers or people
4. Counselor living with chronic diseases).

CHNs support individuals and families in making 8. Leader and Change Agent
informed health decisions and provide guidance on
coping with health challenges. CHNs act as leaders in promoting health and
initiating changes in the community to improve
• Activities: health outcomes.
• Provide counseling on lifestyle
modifications, such as dietary changes or exercise. • Activities:
• Offer emotional support to • Lead community health projects,
individuals dealing with chronic illness or mental such as sanitation improvement programs or
health issues. anti-smoking campaigns.
• Facilitate group counseling sessions • Serve on advisory boards or
on specific health topics, such as mental health or committees focused on health policy and
family planning. community health improvement.
• Train and mentor other health
5. Researcher workers or volunteers in the community.

CHNs contribute to the generation of new 9. Epidemiologist

knowledge by conducting research and
participating in studies aimed at improving CHNs monitor the incidence and spread of
community health outcomes. diseases within the community and implement
measures to control or prevent outbreaks.
• Activities:
• Conduct community health • Activities:
assessments and collect data on prevalent health
issues.
 • Conduct surveillance on
communicable diseases (e.g., tuberculosis,
COVID-19) within the community.
• Analyze trends in disease patterns
and identify populations at risk.
• Implement and promote disease
control measures, such as vaccination programs,
quarantine measures, or sanitation practices.

10. Collaborator

CHNs collaborate with various stakeholders,

including healthcare providers, government
agencies, and community organizations, to improve
public health.

• Activities:
• Work with local governments,
NGOs, and schools to implement community health
programs.
• Collaborate with other healthcare
professionals, such as doctors, social workers, and
mental health professionals, to provide holistic
care.
• Participate in interdisciplinary teams
to develop and execute public health strategies.

Summary

The roles and activities of Community Health

Nurses are diverse, ranging from direct care
provision to education, advocacy, and leadership.
CHNs are key in promoting health equity,
preventing illness, and improving overall community
health through their direct involvement and
collaboration with various stakeholders. Their
holistic approach ensures that individuals, families,
and entire communities have the resources and
knowledge they need to maintain and improve their
health.
.