Click on the link in order to open the Community assignment. Please fill in the pages of the survey as indicated. Then attach the summary as a word document to this site as described on the last page.
After completing the assignment and word document, please post comments on at least 2 other surveys from your fellow students who live in neighborhoods you may be interested in finding out more about.
Community Survey Report
My community of Washington heights has one the highest rates for teenage pregnancy in New York City. With supportive nursing based community care, nurses can make a difference through higher levels of sex education to our local students by offering knowledge reinforcement through education in social norms such as: offering contraceptive services either in schools or nearby, open discussions on abstinence, and participate in the development of wider range community-based partnerships to formulate more effective strategies for those young adults who are at greatest risk for unwanted pregnancy.
Teen Choice is a pregnancy prevention program operated by Inwood House. It is a voluntary social service agency with specially trained social workers organized in three components to address the needs of our teenage population.
Small groups meet once a week during each school semester to discuss:
1) Sexuality issues
2) Instruct in accessibility to contraceptives and STD prevention
3) Value clarification and peer pressure
Workers are also assigned to a school where they have private offices for individual one on one sessions to ensure confidentiality. They are able to discuss the options available to them without fear of their family and peers knowledge of their situation. Situations could involve date rape, incest and family disapproval.
Sometimes teens feel they have no one who will to listen to their problems with an open mind help them work through difficulties. Nurses could provide solid health education to our most vulnerably teens with practical health prevention advise and a caring approach. They could provide similar services in the schools, health clinics and hospitals settings.
In the Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood asthma is a common problem. According to New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygieneâs community profile of year 2006, âAdults are more likely to report having asthma in Bushwick and Williamsburg than in Brooklyn and New York City overall (9% vs. 5% in Brooklyn and NYC).â This is most likely due to the pollution of the nearby Williamsburg Bridge and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. This problem of pollution can be addressed by the planting of more trees or having garbage cans in every corner of the street to prevent people from littering and, therefore, further polluting the neighborhood. To address the pollution caused by the vehicles that come in and out of the bridges will be difficult to address since the bridge is needed for the convenience of drivers. There are also many people in Williamsburg, Brooklyn who smoke. This adds to the pollution and can be another possible cause of asthma. A community health nurse can inform people of the benefits of quitting smoking. Another way to prevent people from smoking is to have schools inform their students of the health hazards of smoking. At least for other forms of pollution there are services in my community, such as El Puente, that has a department which plants new gardens and cleans the streets. Teenage pregnancies are another neighborhood problem. A nurse can inform young adults of contraceptives or an agency can talk about abstinence. There can be outdoor posters with information so that people may call for more information.
The price of renting apartments went up. I know this since some of my friends could not afford to keep living in Williamsburg. To rent is still lower in price in Williamsburg than it is in Manhattan but it is causing residents to move out of Williamsburg since they cannot afford the increasing amounts of rent. This is a tough issue to address to the neighborhood because landlords want to profit more so they welcome new residents who have more money to offer for rent. There are services for the community, such as Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), that help residents find an affordable apartment or home within a low to medium budget.
Growing up in my neighborhood of Coney Island, I have seen it undergo many physical changes in appearance but few in the character of those who live here. I view my hometown as an up-and-coming attraction. It has long been a place famous for the original Nathanâs and Astroland Park but also infamous for being at times unsafe. Many positive changes have been made both physically as well as for families but some factors remain unchanged in the lifestyles of residents.
Once a community limited to tall buildings and empty lots has now incorporated two-family homes, gardens, and tourist attractions. Few abandoned buildings exist as they have been swept out for places of entertainment such as the famous Luna Park, bars, MCU baseball field and restaurants. The recreational aspect has had a positive outcome as parks have been improved under Obamaâs plan to preserve them, mainly Kaiser park where many youth engage in sports. The beach and boardwalks have slowly been improved and cleaned as well. Streets and sidewalks have been maintained and transportation of buses and trains are very accessible, especially for the handicapped. We have two police departments as well as a fire department post-office and hospital, all easy to reach. More and more cultures have meshed in with the majority of African-American and Hispanic races.
Unfortunately with all of these improvements, many who live here do not compliment the environment that the state is trying to create. Gang violence is all too frequent, young lives are taken regularly. Drugs are not hard to come across especially in the younger crowds. Teen pregnancy has its peaks with young girls not yet fit to be mothers and no steady family environments for the newborns to grow up in. Many schools exist but the young minds that attend them are mostly influenced by the decisions they make outside of school. What is a touristâs attraction by day is not always the safest place to be by night.
Healthcare and crime are the main focuses that need to be addressed according to what Iâve witnessed and what has been recorded. With drug abuse and teen pregnancies come transfers of STDs and HIV, it is becoming an epidemic that nurses definitely address on a regular basis especially in these neighborhood facilities. They teach the youth the importance of contraception and their own personal health. Medicaid is the most popular form of health insurance used by the families here for children who are receiving adequate care. Community youth centers exist and sports are encouraged for the children. However, as long as unstable homes remain with a wide range of unsafe conditions and people outdoors, total change cannot occur.
Never really knew Coney Island had so much defects . I usually go to Coney Island for Luna Park so i`ve always associated Coney with just pure fun. Its good to have learned a bit more about that environment. I also agree that it is important to educate the youth on the dangers of life, that way they`ll be more cauticious on the decisions they make.
After I had spent the day walking around and exploring my neighborhood of Bay Ridge, I had realized what a nice neighborhood Bay Ridge is. It is a very calm and quiet area where Iâm pretty sure people enjoy living. Although Bay Ridge is a very tranquil area, there are also many things that can be done to improve it. What I think is a main problem in Bay Ridge is the local traffic. Fifth Avenue is one of the major commuting routes and I must say it is a hassle to drive in. Not only is driving in Bay Ridge a bother, but parking is also another problem. If you decide to drive anywhere in Bay Ridge, be prepared to spend at least 20 minutes looking for parking. You will end up having to park blocks and blocks away from where your destination is actually located. The subject of driving and cars also leads to the subject of pollution. One of the main ways of commuting around Bay Ridge is driving. The amount of cars and buses being driven contributes to the increase of pollution in this area which happens to make living in Bay Ridge a bit unpleasant.
Bay Ridge is a very diverse area. There are people from ethnicities all over the world. There are people of Irish, Polish, Greek, Middle Eastern, Hispanic descent who either do not know any English or very little English. If a nurse decides to work in Bay Ridge and only speaks English, this composes a small problem because the nurse will not be able to communicate with the client as well as could be.
Community Survey – Midwood
I live in the Midwood section of Flatbush. One observation that struck me as I surveyed my neighborhood, is the dichotomy of the population. I made my observation based on the quality of housing, transportation, individual dress and apparent daily activities. Housing: There are very rich people who live on the side streets in multimillion dollar homes, and there are lower income residents who live in rental apartments on the busy streets. Transportation: There are many late model luxury cars parked and traveling in the neighborhood, as well as some clunkers and busy bus stops. Dress: There are individuals who are dressed in high end clothing and there are others who dress more casually(euphemism). Daily activities: There are some who are strolling in and out of clothing boutiques and cafes holding their lattes and others who are hanging out by the laundromat and outside their apartment building. The limitations of my conclusions are that they were based on observation and internet data, I did not interview individuals nor did I check their tax returns.
One of the public health concerns that this dichotomy poses is that there is a local privately funded emergency response service that responds faster than city emergency response units. This service is supported by the wealthier segment of the local population. One issue is that this service is not accessible by dialing 911. Many of the lower income residents might not know about this service or how to reach them at a time when every second is crucial. Another issue which directly affects the lower income population is that the overall need for emergency services might not be reported properly, which can affect public funding for healthcare in the neighborhood. As a nurse I would educate my clients as to all the health services available in their community, even privately funded ones, and I would make sure they knew how to access these services.
My community, Elmont, located in Long Island is a relatively quiet neighborhood. Most of the residents in the area are employed, and they can provide for their families. The houses are in good condition, there are parks for children to play, and there arenât many visible safety hazards for people to worry about. This community has many houses that are close enough to view neighbors around it, but still has private space for the families residing in the house.
One possible neighborhood problem is exposed dangling electric wires. I have seen a few wires that are loose on the ground, or hanging from high electric poles. If a child playing on the sidewalk after school with a friend accidentally touches it, there is a chance for serious or possibly fatal damage. Younger children may also not know any better, and attempt to jump and swing at a dangling electric cord. Another possible problem may be neighborhood violence. During late nights, cliques who are returning from parties or just hanging by their houses tend to form groups and be rowdy. When young adults are drunk or with many friends, they act reckless, and they may try to impress their friends by picking on people who are walking alone.
I personally do not enjoy my neighborhood because I am used to the city. Without a car, there arenât many options to have fun. Public transportation doesnât run as often as in the city, and parks are usually for children who are younger.
I live in Gravesend. I like living here very much. For the most part, I feel safe and comfortable here. The houses and apartment buildings are mostly well maintained and in good conditions. Most homes have gardens with different types of flowers and trees and some have backyards. There are many trees on most of the blocks and there arenât geographic features that are hazardous. There are a few playgrounds as well as a park named Marine Park that offers a lot of green space. I like Marine Park because it enables many people to play all kinds of sports such as: handball, soccer, football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, among others. There are many schools, mainly elementary schools, in my area. My neighborhood is diverse but in terms of store owners and passersby, most are of Chinese and Russian descent. Itâs fairly easy to get around since there are trains, buses, and taxis available. There are two main avenues where shopping can be done: Avenue U and Kings Highway. In addition, there are many types of food available: Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Indian, Pakistani, American, Turkish, Mexican, Greek, and Ukrainian. If I missed anything, I apologize. If youâd like to know more about my neighborhood, please let me know. đ
I consider that my neighborhood doesnât have many problems. However, as with everything problems do exist. For example, something that saddens me is homelessness. I always think about the person and their past. No one is born homeless. Even in the toughest circumstances, things such as the Safe Haven laws ensure that when people are born they have a chance at having a home. However, things happen and situations change over the course of someoneâs life. I have noticed that a lot of these people seem to have some sort of addition be it alcoholism or drug addiction. A community health nurse can address this problem by attacking it from different angles. Starting with children in all age ranges in school and showing them the effects of using drugs instead of just talking about it. Many times, problems like these are indicators of troubles at home. It would be beneficial if the nurse could teach some parenting courses and help parents talk to their children not only about drugs but about many other things so as to keep the lines of communication open and therefore parents will be able to offer their children a good support system. This, in my opinion will help decrease drug. I do recognize, however, that this is definitely an idealistic approach. Another way the nurse can address this situation is helping people who are already addicted to free themselves of the addiction and receive training in a skill, if they donât have any, that will be useful when trying to obtain a job. Crime exists, yet it is rare to hear of things such as killings in my neighborhood. However, in the past the past year, a few have occurred and have scandalized the city. I hope this doesnât occur again.
Referring to Linda’s post i also see an increase in teen pregnancy with in my community. Many children that I have graduated high school with are now pregnant or have giving birth to children. Nurses should definitely be available to teens today with not only preventative information but also free contraception. Many teens today donât look in to contraception as much as they should, because of not only finical reasons but in order to not leave a âpaper trailâ. They fear if they use their familiesâ health insurance to purchase contraception, such as birth control their parent will be informed. Therefore confidential meetings with nurses would have a better effect our communities.