The Intersection Between Nursing and Community Health
One of my favorite aspects of nursing is that it is a profession that can lead you in many different directions. Nurses work everywhere in our society, from hospitals, to clinics, to schools, and even directly within the community. In nursing school, student nurses rotate to various settings to get exposure to the wide variety of work that nurses perform. This semester I was lucky enough to work with the Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County and learn more about the intersection between community health and nursing.
Nurses play a vital role in looking after entire communities that goes beyond clinical care. They routinely deal with issues such as transportation, health and safety inspections, reviewing school health records, prevention of communicable diseases, health education, health guidance, food, housing, and more. Community health nurses serve as educators, advocates, and the essential link between the patient and public services.
Education is a major component of improving the health and resilience of a community. To advance a community’s health, it is important to properly educate them on actionable, accessible, and proactive ways to be healthier. Nurses proactively disseminate information about a variety of health information to their patients, including nutrition advice, stress reduction techniques, pre and. They provide education one on one with patients and in large group settings like schools or health fairs. Nurses educate on a wide variety of health topics and focus on prevention of disease and injury. Topics range from hypertension management and prevention, healthy eating, tick prevention, to the importance of vaccines in preventing disease, just to name a few.
Regarding diseases, nurses also make efforts in the community to prevent diseases from worsening. They perform health screenings to detect disease early, prior to obvious symptoms showing, and then take action to halt disease progression. Nurses conduct blood glucose screenings for the detection of type 2 diabetes. Chronic diseases, such as hypertension, are addressed by nurses as they assist patients with the management of their conditions. Nurses may connect patients with medical providers, rehabilitation/ management programs, and support groups to help patients improve their chronic disease and quality of life.
Nurses are continuous patients advocates in the community, uplifting their voices. Community health nurses advocate for vulnerable populations in their community, include unhoused individuals, the elderly, those with no insurance, immigrants, and more. For instance, a nurse may advocate for improved transportation for those who may not be able to get to the doctor's office or grocery store conveniently or safely. In many cases,
Frederick County offers a vast array of local community health services, such as Frederick Health’s Transitional and Chronic Care Management service. This is a free service available to the community for those who need help managing their health. Individuals utilizing this service receive weekly phone calls and as-needed nurse home visits at no cost to provide health coaching, equipping patients with the knowledge and tools needed to help manage their disease. This service ensures that all patients can fully follow medical plans so that they can live healthier and more productive lives.
I recently participated in the 17th Annual Frederick Community Health fair at Frederick High School. The Health Fair consisted of over 30 different booths all with the same goal: promoting a healthier community. Attendees received free glucose screenings, blood pressure screenings, vaccinations, information on various health services, education on nutrition, and more! It was wonderful seeing so many different organizations come together for a common cause.
Frederick Health’s Family Connects program is a free and voluntary at home nurse visiting program where trained nurses visit the family’s home 3 weeks after the baby’s arrival. The nurse offers wellness visits for the birthing parent and baby, and personalized resources for the family. While the program began by only serving Frederick County residents whose baby was born at Frederick Health, it has now expanded to serve all Frederick County residents, regardless of where the baby was born. In the first 15 months, nurses visited 1,630 or 65% of the 2,500 eligible families, and families across all races, ethnicities, and insurance types accepted the visit.
The Frederick County community is evidence that nursing goes beyond the traditional nursing role and tackles health issues for the benefit of entire communities. During this nursing school rotation, I have learned how important the role of nurses is in improving community health and how these nurses impact the lives of their patients, helping to create a healthier, more resilient Frederick County!