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Community Health Nursing fall 2017
NUR 4010
Colas Francius
SELF REFLECTION

Nursing profession has many different fields; Acute care nursing, Med – Surg, stroke, telemetry, OR, and just to name a few. I have worked as a registered professional nurse for the last 2 years in the Medsurg/ stroke unit. My self-reflection narratives and my overall involvement in the community setting at the church Lady of Refuge were priceless.
Objective 1: Displaying personalized professionalism through personal attitude and appearance. Assigned to the church in the Flatbush neighborhood every Wednesday, I assessed the client vital signs particularly the blood pressure. The goal is to establish trust and build a relationship with the client in a considerate demeanor. I assessed their medical conditions and spontaneously grabbed the opportunity to engage them in preventive medical care through teachings and referrals.
Objective 2: Employ analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills when getting with the individuals in the community setting. I had the opportunities to assessed clients with elevated blood pressure. I engage many of the community members in understanding normal blood pressure reading. Assess their understanding of high blood pressure; find out why their non-adherence to treatment regimen. I found out that most members of the Flatbush community do not have access to health care and can’t afford out of pocket expenses for their medications. I had the opportunity to refer them to community health center available in the Flatbush community.
Objective 3: Interacting with diverse groups and using a variety of strategies regarding the health needs of the individuals require effective communication in the community. The enlightenment that comes with this clinical experience helps me to use communication tools most efficaciously. Listening to patient to assess their knowledge was a critical tool for effective teaching. Interplaying with the staff and clients, I had the chance to use both verbal and non-verbal form of communication.
Objective 4: Establish environment conducive to learning and use a plan for learners based on evidence- based practice. Our teaching plan for the service project was on blood pressure awareness. In the order to communicate my teachings most effectively to this community, I formulated my teachings by using pre and post test to assess and evaluate their knowledge. I was available to provide answers regarding their questions and concerns. Making sure community members was comfortable and relax was a way to provide a favorable environment for teaching.
Objective 5: Utilize informational technology was essential. Statistical data about Flatbush community and available resources are documented in NYC.org. NYC.org provided information about resources allocation, co morbidity and mortality and all healthcare related issues. Based on the information and the needs of the community, the Professor chose the topic of high blood pressure awareness. The lack of knowledge and prevalence of high blood pressure in this community prompted the professor to choose this particular topic.
Objective 6: Demonstrate a commitment to professional development. Advocate for the community member and my awareness of available resources within the community were my goals. Acquired knowledge and skills by continuing education is the most important way to maintain competency in my chosen profession. This acquisition of more knowledge will help me excel in the profession and will increase positive outcomes for the members of the community in terms of care.
Objection 7: ANA standard practice and accountability are needed to maintain professional nursing standards. The continuity of practice within the ANA standard of practice assures safety. Adherence to HIPPA, following policy and procedure and vision statement of the institution are factors that need to be maintained.
Objective 8: Collaborate with client, significant support persons and members of the health care team. The aim of the community nurse is to provide care for the client and family. Collaborative approach is the successful way to attain this objective. Effective management make community members’ center of all care by introducing interdisciplinary team. The social worker, case manager, dietary department, nursing department and medical department collaborate for the benefit of the client. However, our experience as community health nurse at the church did not allow us to reach that horizon.
Objective 9: The delivery of health care services is affected by a set of amalgam such as economics, political, social and demographics factors. Resource allocated to a community is based on the community needs and future impacts following this resource allocation. Politicians advocate for reforms to fill community needs ceteris paribus. Primary role of community health nurse is preventive medicine; it allows allocation optimal of resource.
Objective 10: We live in the globalization era where information and individual are constantly mobile. This movement of people makes certain health issues to become global. Fortunately as the individual moves from one space to another, there is also a movement of information regarding that individual. As this information becomes available, healthcare providers and politician should be able to elaborate a plan to challenge those global health issues. Consider global health issues as they affect specific community health issues such as transmission and health policy on community based care. Global health issues to fight AIDS/HIV, MALARIA, and TUBERCULOSIS (TB) AND OTHER SOME GLOBAL ASPECTS of health issues, such as the impact of poverty AND INEQUALITY. They are the premature cause of disease and suffering; that‘s unnecessary. Education, immunization, and treatment are the best way of taking care of this problem.
Summary: Interestingly the core function of community nursing such as assessment, policy development and assurance was an area that was familiar to me but never knew that nurses play an integral role in policy development of a community. Having an insight into community problems such as health disparities, preventive medicine, resources allocation, demographics, and having a good understanding of the community that I served was done reading multiple research studies and healthy people 2020. The focus now was how to bring awareness to this community by involving the community as a whole. Using the nursing process as a whole to assist the community with knowledge needed to assess health needs.
In conclusion having the opportunity to work with the Flatbush community with low social economy status and with multiple health comorbidities was a challenge for me. Many members of this community were lacking of health benefits, some are scared to talk to health care professional probably due to cultural, personal experience, and their illegal status. Their needs were approached by using therapeutic communication. Community health nursing has helped me to gain insight and to be a better prepared nurse in general.