Community Health Project Part I
Introduction
Healthy People – Community Health Project – Part I
NURS 492 – Community Health Nursing
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Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to involve students in the comprehensive community needs assessment. Students will develop and utilize tools to identify perceived factors, both negative and positive, that impinge on the population’s health. This information will then be used to develop and implement strategies for health promotion. Topics have been identified from Healthy People 2020 Objectives. Presentations should be developed around one objective from the Healthy People 2020 focus areas.
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Approach to Assignment
This was a very extensive assignment with two parts. I identified an aggregate population with whom I could work with in the community. I worked with the community to prioritize a community diagnosis and develop a plan to address it. Due to my nursing at Boxwood Recovery Center detox unit and my relationship with a 12-step fellowship group the aggregate population I identified were individual’s 18 years and older suffering with substance use disorders (SUDs) within the community. I did volunteer work with the 12-step fellowship group, Alcoholics Anonymous, and used much of the information from this assignment as an opportunity to educate clients and staff in the community.
Reason for Inclusion
The reason for inclusion of this assignment is the extreme importance of substance use disorders currently in our nation. Opioid addiction was declared a national emergency by the President in 2017. The subject of developing and implementing evidence-based practices into the health care system to address the high mortality rate due to overdose is of utmost importance to the medical industry. Culpeper, Virginia is the community in which Boxwood Recovery Center is located. Virginia Department of Health reports Culpeper county has one of the highest rates of overdose from illegal opioid in the state, 17% over the state average. I wanted to work with the community to address some of the issues impacting these individuals with this disorder.
Critical Thinking
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Evaluates nursing care outcomes through the acquisition of data and the questioning of inconsistencies.
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One of my first questions at the beginning of this assignment, was why is it that Culpeper county having such a high rate of mortality due to illegal opioid drug use when Boxwood Recovery Center is located there. Boxwood has been in operation for over twenty years. I questioned the inconsistency of care being deliver and the stability of the 12-step fellowship groups in the community. The patient outcomes are not what they should be due to the system wide approach to the substance use disorders. Through my involvement with the community I was able to identify the breakdown between the community-based fellowship program and the Recovery Center. A new connection was established between the facility and a 12-step community representative.
Communication
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Expresses oneself and communicates effectively with diverse groups using a variety of media.
When volunteering with the 12-step group I coordinated and conducted information sessions with a diverse group of stakeholders within the fellowship community using oral, written, and illustrated handouts. I also addressed the population at Boxwood with an oral presentation, a visual power point presentation, printed materials, and illustrated handouts concerning information regarding the community and substance use disorders.
Research
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Applies research-based knowledge from the arts, humanities and sciences to complement nursing practice.
I did extensive literature review using numerous data bases to explore all aspects of substance use disorders. I identified barriers within the community blocking treatment of individuals with substance use disorder. I explored several websites and reviewed statistical data concerning substance use disorders within Virginia, county characteristics, and national databases to create my community approach to address the treatment deficit.
Leadership
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Initiates community partnerships to establish health promotion goals and implements strategies to meet those goals.
I developed a relationship with the 12-step fellowship community to promote the goal of improved outcomes for individuals suffering from substance used disorders. I worked as a representative for a 12-step fellowship group and promoted recovery goals to implement strategies within the community to address improved outcomes for this vulnerable populations needs. I created a community-based approach to address the blocks within the community to improve outcomes.
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Organized, manages, and evaluates the development of strategies to promote healthy communities.
I was responsible for planning, announcing, and directing 12-step business meetings within a group. To promote the involvement of stakeholders and encourage volunteer participation from the community to partner with the recovery facility. I communicated the promotion of healthy outcomes to aggregate population and addressed alternative interventions.