Reflections on Community Health Nursing Community Assessment Project Based on Specific Objectives.

Objective 1: Demonstrate individual professionalism through personal behaviors and appearance.

When engaging with a new person, a group or community and attempting to present new ideas as well as trying to transform the way people think and proceed with daily lives, one must be prepared. In order to present to individuals not only in healthcare but other aspects of life and business, one must be able to establish rapport and gain trust. A sense of professionalism is a very important aspect when attempting to gain trust and respect from others. If I were a patient and was approached by a nurse, doctor or any staff who spoke poorly or argued with others as if they were on the street, I would definitely feel uncomfortable receiving any care let alone advice from such an individual. Therefore, it is important as professionals that we conduct ourselves in a matter as such. We do not only represent the hospital or university, but ourselves. I have always believed this in my practice on the unit and as a student. We are human beings and sometimes encounter problems with other employees or feelings of hostility, but as professional adults we should have the presence of mind to control ourselves. The same goes for dealing with patients. During our interaction with clients we always maintained the utmost proper and professional attitude. In doing so, we always presented dressed properly and professionally.

Objective 2: Employ Analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills when providing care to individuals and families.

In the course of our clinical experience critical thinking is employed frequently. In particular when discussing with patients of their diabetes, I noted the patients appearance, note where they live, what they do for a living, all in an effort to gather as much data and place this patient in perspective to their disease state.

Objective 3: Effectively communicate with diverse groups and disciplines using a variety of strategies regarding the health needs of individuals and families in the community setting.

          Communicating effectively is a vital part of the patient-caregiver relationship. When communicating with residents of Kings County I felt it was important to speak on a level that was more comfortable with the average person. Many residents of the community are not highly educated or speak languages other than English. I felt it important not to use to much medical jargon and speak in a way that was understandable and accessible to anyone. In addition, we used visual aides, which help supplement the often-difficult medical language.

Objective 4: Establish an environment conducive to learning and use a plan for learners based on evidence–based practice.

In the course of designing our presentation, I feel we developed good forms of conveying our information to a variety of individuals. During our time at our clinical site and in the course of our research we learned of the great diversity of Kings County Hospital and the surrounding neighborhood. We took advantage of a large space on the unit often used for gathering and teaching, which provided for a comfortable stay. We used signs and poster board as visual aides, which help draw in the listener. We also used and drew upon our strengths as a group, for example, when encountered with specific learning opportunities. When we were faced with children, certain group members who work with children engaged them better and so made for a more productive learning experience for them and their family member.

Objective 5: Utilize informational technology when managing individuals and families in the community.

The used of technology is ubiquitous in this day and age, and in healthcare there is no exception. With the use of electronic medical records now mandatory in healthcare we use technology for nearly every aspect of management of patient plan of care. The only draw back for us as students is when entering new facilities regularly we must learn new systems and often-in short periods of time. However, most of us are comfortable with use of technology. On more than one occasion I had used my ipad to illustrate to patients different diagrams and photos of anatomy such as the pancreas. In this way, technology is an indispensable resource. We as educators call recall any information we need or want in order to better enlighten patients. I think the use of technology is a wonderful tool for engaging patients.

Objective 6: Demonstrate a commitment to professional development.

Professional development is an on going process. As such, I have always been open to and encourage continued education. I also try to be honest with patients, I don’t know everything and do not pretend to, therefore I tell patients if I do not know something I will immediately research it and return with an answer. I have always tried to keep up with current knowledge and will continue to do so.

Objective 7: Incorporate profession nursing standards and accountability into practice.

As a professional nurse and a student I adhere to established nursing standards and accountability. As a nurse I follow facility protocols and do not disregard policy to ease my practice. As a student I do not modify the way I function in a professional manner. I am still a registered nurse and continue to follow standards of care. In the course of my clinical rotation I had not personally encountered any particular instances in which I would have to be accountable for my actions.

Objective 8: Collaborate with clients, significant support persons and members of the healthcare team.

I feel that this objective was the most important and the one I personally focused on. This objective is essentially what our whole semester should have reflected. Every meeting was an opportunity to collaborate with patients and their families. As students we were involved in working directly with patients as well as working with staff to address specific problems. Our unit manager was very open and welcoming, making myself and the group feel comfortable. He worked closely with us to help staff communicate with patients and gain the support and resources they needed.

Objective 9: Recognize the impact of economic, political, social and demographic forces that affect delivery of healthcare services.

During our time at Kings County, I learned how the community has some of the highest rates of disease in Brooklyn, particularly heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Understanding the community, the composition of the community and resources, one begins to see clearer how these statistics come to be. The community is predominately African American, this fact alone lends to high rates of heart disease secondary to genetic factors. Additionally, the community also has a large presence of poverty and poor health education. An astounding detail I noticed was the amount of fast food available directly across the street from the hospital. This is a distressing and fundamental point that underscores the reality of the neighborhood. Poor and middle class people, whom are constantly working and trying to just get by, often resign to the cheapest and most convenient option. Moreover, many individuals in the community still don’t know or understand why these choices are poor. In the same way I have seen in other communities, many people think diabetes has to do only with sugar, i.e. white, granulate table sugar. They do not understand that bread and rice and noodles affect their health and blood glucose. These reasons are what make it so vital to promote education in the community. An individual who understands and has the knowledge has the tools and chance to make a better and informed decision.