NCM6204- Community Health Nursing 1
Module 1 Overview of Community Health Nursing
Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, the students should be able to :
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Understand the different definitions of terms
Identify supportive organizations
Differentiate between Public Health Nurse and Community Health Nurse
Explain Community Health Nursing
Describe the qualities of the Community Health Nurse.
Definitions
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Health: It is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing of an individual and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (W.H.O).
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Public Health: Is the science and acts of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting
mental and physical health and efficiency through organized community efforts.
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Public Health: can also be defined as the science and act of preventing disease and prolonging
life by using available resources in the community and involving the community members in
efficiency.
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Public Health Nursing: Is the branch of professional nursing that utilizes human and material
resources in the community for the promotion and maintenance of health, prevention and
control of communicable diseases and not merely the care and rehabilitation of the sick.
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Nursing : Is to assist the individual, sick or well in the performance of those activities
contributing to health or its recovery or to a peaceful death which he would have performed
unaided if he has the necessary strength and will or knowledge and to do this in such a way
as to gain independence as rapidly as possible.
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Community Health Nursing: Is defined as a field of nursing practice that blends knowledge
and skills from both the nursing and the public health sciences and applies them to the
promotion of optimal health for the total population. (Turner and Chavigny).
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Community Health Nursing: Is a combination of nursing and public health practice that is,
knowledge, skills and attitudes used to:
NCM6204- Community Health Nursing 1
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Promote and maintain good health
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Prevent and control illness
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Treat minor common illness
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Aid rehabilitation (to help people live full normal lives after an illness or disability).
The CHN provides care which is:
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Comprehensive: embraces all ages, all types of persons, and all conditions.
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Continuous: care is not just for a limited period as in hospital, but it embraces all ages and
aspects of care in any community ie antenatal care, maternity, under fives clinics, school
health, occupational health, care for the handicapped and elderly.
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Personalized: care is adapted to the particular health needs of individuals, families and
communities according to needs.
Areas of Work of the Community Health Nurse (CHN)
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Homes
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Villages
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Schools
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Work places
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Clinics
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Maternity Homes,
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Health Centers
Objectives of Community Health Nursing
Include the following, To:
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Provide antenatal, maternity and postnatal care to ensure safe pregnancy, delivery and
puerperium for the mother and child.
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Provide Under Fives’ Clinics for:
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immunization
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developmental assessment
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advice on nutrition and child care
NCM6204- Community Health Nursing 1
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treatment of minor ailments
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providing encouragement and support to mothers.
Provide clinics for treating adults and children for:
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minor ailments
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referral of major illness
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health education
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Provide facilities for family planning.
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Teach the correct use of common medicines and drugs and the dangers of buying medicines at
the chemist and market.
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Explain and promote the use of local health services in the community, advising people to seek
health care from safe, qualified heath personnel.
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Promote projects in the community that will improve life for the people there eg. Women’s
cooperatives, literacy programmes, provision of safe water.
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Teach and demonstrate healthy ways of living (health education) according to local needs.
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Assist in the prevention and control of communicable disease.
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Visit people in their own homes and villages to identify health needs and priorities, and deal with
the, effectively.
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Promote the health of school children (through the health service.)
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Promote the health of the worker (occupational health).
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Maintain and promote the health of the elderly and handicapped.
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Work in close cooperation with government and other local organizations to promote health and
welfare of individuals, families and communities.
Duties of a Community Health Nurse
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Home visiting
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Running child welfare clinic
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Running family planning clinic or assisting
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Assist in running ANC and PHN
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Conducts School Health Services (Hygiene Inspection)
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Carries out or assist the PHN in inspection of Day Care Centres
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Collection of information or data from the community
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Health Education
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Record Keeping
NCM6204- Community Health Nursing 1
Responsibilities of the CHN’s duties mainly involve:
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Disease Prevention
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Health Promotion
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Community Mobilization
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Health Information
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Advocacy
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Improvement in communication for behavior change
Principle of Community Health Nursing
When posted to a new community under takes the following:
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Introduces self to the in charge and other team members.
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Surveys area to acquaint self with important structures like chief’s palace, schools churches,
hospital etc.
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Study previous records if any to identify existing problems.
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Understands the people’s way of life their traditions, beliefs etc to identify useful ones and
discourages harmful ones.
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Address health needs of the people through their own efforts and materials available in the
community.
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Identify felt needs and put them in other of preference.
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Involve community members in planning and implementation of services so that she can gain
support.
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Never decide for the people but use knowledge to educate them on service rendered.
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Procedures and duties must be systematic making sure that people understand.
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Be familiar with organized groups and opinion leaders and work through them
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Help people to assume responsibility so that in your absence work can still be carried out.
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Do not give a promise which cannot be fulfilled.
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Find out how people feel about your work so that you can institute the necessary changes to suit
them.
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Do not expect any material reward from community members.
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Write report on work done and submit to immediate supervisor.
NCM6204- Community Health Nursing 1
References and Supplementary Materials:
1.
Community Health Nursing
2.
Community Health Nursing - Nursing Theories, Community-Based vs CommunityOriented Nursing, Ethics