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Windshield Survey
Mojica Abucejo
Aspen University
NU-610-817: Healthcare Policy and Finance
Professor Todd Harlan
February 27, 2021
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Windshield Survey
A windshield survey is a scientific and systematic tool that helps researchers conduct a
study and observation while inside a moving vehicle, hence the name “windshield”. Similarly,
this investigation helps surveyors understand the community's needs (Kusimo, 2019). As a nurse,
this tool is very vital in discerning the health aspects of the community. Moreover, it is a great
first step in assessing the strengths and limitations of services, infrastructures, and environmental
factors that guide community nurses in applying professional interventions to communal issues
(Gallagher & Stevens, 2015; Rabinowtiz, 2020). The windshield survey conducted in my
community was very informative and helpful in determining elements that affect those who live
in Laveen, Arizona. This paper will depict the data gathered and find its correlation to the
residents' health status in the area. Moreover, factors such as transportations, social services,
stores, religion, race, businesses, homelessness, housing, boundaries, and other health indicators
will be examined. Finally, aspects of the community that are the biggest challenges and barriers
in attaining good health care will be discussed.
Data Collected
Data collected in windshield surveys are pertinent not only to healthcare workers but also
to government agencies that can help for the betterment of the community. More importantly,
these surveys are done annually to keep the date updated. Moreover, nursing students that are
tasked to do a windshield survey are given the oppurtunity to think as a community health nurse
(CHN) while understanding the dynamic process of how physical, spiritual, mental, and social
well-being are affected by determinants of health (Ho-Asjoe & Griffin, 2017). The following
data were collected in three days’ worth of windshield survey.
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Boundaries:
The Laveen community borders are defined with several small bodies of water that are
mostly dried up. Additionally, its roads go all the way to south 75th avenue and 25th avenue.
Furthermore, a section of the South Mountain reserved is part of this growing community.
Housing and Zoning:
The Laveen area has seen quite a lot of housing developments over the past few years.
Many houses are being built around schools and establishments, that many of the open spaces are
being taken away. Most of the houses look to be modernized and are well kept. However, few
are old and were from the first housing projects of the community. Additionally, the area has
many houses primarily used for agriculture purposes with open designs, many of which are in the
edge part of the border. Likewise, most of the houses near schools and private businesses are
governed by homeowners' associations (HOAs), which provides a specification for their
residence.
Open Space:
Many areas of the community were originally used for pastures and farming. However,
many of these lands are now open areas. Moreover, a large industrial presence in the community
is used for metals and iron recycling. Next to this industrial zone is a wide area of land that’s not
being used and is barricaded for years now. Other open spaces are found around the community;
most are used for open parks or miniparks that the residence use for walking their dogs and
doing exercises.
Commons:
The park at Cesar Chavez is one of the biggest parks in the Laveen. The area is
surrounded by a human-made lake that features a small islet in the middle. This area also has a
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public library that provides free internet access to the public. Additionally, new areas are being
built, such as skating parks, animal parks, and walking areas for the community. Subsequently,
the hiking trails around the South Mountain reserve is one that many people go to for leisure and
activities.
Transportation:
The new development of the 202 highways has made a significant impact on the
transportation aspect of Laveen. The highway provided much-needed access to the Phoenix
proper. The metropolitan buses also have multiple dropping areas that serve the community.
Furthermore, many of the houses that were observed in the survey have their own personal
vehicle for transportation.
Social Services:
In the survey, every major cross street had access to a pharmacy and clinics. Likewise,
there are multiple access to parks and recreational areas. Similarly, there are plenty of urgent
care and primary care practices that are available to the public. Moreover, bigger healthcare
companies are starting to invest in the area, recent opening of a small clinic from Valleywise
healthcare system is a promising development.
Stores:
The survey showed an uptick of new stores opening in the area. Unfortunately, stores are
far from each other. There are small areas centralized for food, but Laveen lacks specialized
stores for clothes, technology, and international items. Similarly, there not much variety in food
stores and no luxury dining available in the community. What is abundant are small eateries that
serve on the grab food for low prices. Subsequently, people who want to spend for fine dining
travels outside the community, such as in Tempe or Scottsdale.
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Street People and Animals:
On a daily basis, the people in the streets are mostly blue-collar workers trying to get a
ride on the bus or get their groceries. Since the survey area was closely done in the central of the
city, there were a ton of students from the nearby schools in the area. Furthermore, when this
survey was done, there was no sign of animals loitering around the public areas. However, as
someone who lives in the community, there are some incidents where stray dogs and animals
were seen near houses. These incidents are especially concentrated near the South Mountain
reservations.
Race and Ethnicity:
The community is comprised with a diverse race and ethnicity. In driving around the city,
African American, Hispanic American, and White American were observed to be the most out
and about in the neighborhood. Although by experience, I do know that there is a large
community of Asian and Native American in the area here too.
Religion:
In searching the community, multiple churches were observed and were open for
worship. There is a Baptist, a Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, multiple Catholic, and Iglesia De
Cristo church. However, I know there is a lack of a other religion is an issue that many resident
has voiced out in previous years.
Health indicators:
There are many healthcare clinics around the Laveen proper, but not many mental health
and substance abuse facilities. Furthermore, there are few specialized healthcare offices in the
area. It lacks orthopedic, women's health, pain clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers. Much
urgent care has been built recently, which is a good indicator of how much the population has
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grown through the years. There is a police station at the border's edge but not close to the main
Laveen village. There are only a few fire departments in the area, even though the house they
serve has increased since they were established.
Politics:
This aspect of the survey was hard to discern. There are multiple posters in the major
cross streets, but there is no indication of any political headquarters in the area. Moreover, there
are no billboards in the area that has a political theme. As for other political presence indicators
in the area, most ballots in the past election were done in the churches and schools in the
community.
Media:
As mentioned above, there is a public library that is utilized by the masses. In the survey,
many people were in the public area and are reading books. The church and schools around the
area also let the public borrow multimedia products such as movies and music CDs.
Business and Industry:
The area is near the new highway and paved the way for many new businesses, from
small retail to big chain restaurants. There are some new manufacturers but are limited to small
offices. However, the healthcare industry is booming in the area, with four clinics opened up in
the last year, and many more are being built for this year. However, there is no big company in
the area, but it could change from future projects planned near highway 202. Similarly, many of
the people are workers in nearby cities such as Tempe and Phoenix.
Personal Opinion
In conducting the windshield survey, I find that there are many lacking services in my
community. For instance, there is no movie theater nearby nor a place to have fine dining with
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family. More importantly, there is no large-scale hospital that can manage major surgeries or
critical health needs. Likewise, there are no colleges or universities nearby, although there are
plenty of high schools in the area. It would be beneficial if these services were provided in my
area. It would look more like a booming town than an industrialized area with lower housing
prices due to its location.
The most interesting aspect of the survey would be the current climate of the crimes
around the area. In my windshield survey alone, I saw four cops arresting multiple teenagers in
the streets. Smart home devices such as the Ring and Arlo cameras have a sharing forum for any
crimes in the area. I must say, the numbers of reported crime activities in a 50 miles radius in our
community have risen for the past year. These problems would be alleviated if there were more
police stations in the area. Another safety feature that needs to be implemented is the use of a
neighborhood watch or community patrol.
Results of Findings
Windshield surveys are a good framework for formulating interventions in the issues that
communities face. Moreover, the assessment serves as a preliminary guide for community health
nurses in assessing the residents' needs. For instance, a study done to help rural areas and
pediatric care in different communities has shown that windshield surveys were vital in assessing
the issues at hand (Brock et al., 2020; McGuirt et al., 2015).
In our community, what surprised me is the lack of support for the promotion of safety.
Many of the current issues in the Laveen is centered on its problematic security and widespread
crimes. In the urgent care close to my home, multiple incidents have happened, from shooting to
bomb threats; they have it all. These issues are vital to people's safety and must be addressed.
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The emotional stress that these events can bring to the residence is crucial to their overall mental
health.
Description of the Neighborhood
According to Porter et al. (2020), the use of windshield surveys can help determine
modifiable factors and their detractors to give individuals, groups, and communities a higher
chance to achieve better health status. In my time spent conducting the survey, I only witnessed a
few people using the parks and recreational areas. However, the current pandemic might have
something to do with this assessment. Nonetheless, the survey elements such as high crime rate,
low number of healthcare facilities, deficiency in emergency establishments, and low variety of
food places can affect an individual's overall life experience. Therefore, the community of
Laveen needs multiple improvements on its infrastructures and available services to help its
residents achieve a better quality of life.
Conclusion
A windshield survey is a great tool for nursing students like me to understand the factors
affecting the health status of a community. Applying it to my own neighborhood provided me
with insight into how the current issues affect the residents of Laveen. Subsequently, I now have
great awareness of how to use these assessments tools in the future when I become a nurse. More
significantly, doing the survey has made me appreciate the things in my neighborhood that help
its resident live a better life. Finally, pinpointing the issues that are plaguing the community in a
systematic and scientific method nurtures critical thinking, a crucial skill that a future nurse like
me will be needing.
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References
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Rabinowtiz, P. (2020). Windshield and walking surveys. https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-ofcontents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/windshield-walkingsurveys/main