Public Health Nursing Assessment Essay Example

Public Health Nursing Assessment Essay Example

Public health nursing improves health through health education, prevention, coordination, protection, leadership, promotion, advocacy, integration, care, and research. Therefore, knowledge of nursing, social, and public health sciences is important. Integrating these knowledge concepts to come up with a consolidated care plan to improve the health of a certain population unique to the field of nursing. According to the American Nurses Association’s third-edition publication on the scope of practice for public health nursing, collaboration is a fundamental principle for public health nurses (PHN). PHNs collaborate with the individual patient and population as equal partners (American Nurses Association, 2022). To collaborate with this population to improve their health, a PHN needs to assess and understand the target population in terms of demographics and diversity issues. The public health nursing assessment tool (PHNAT) outlines ten steps in population assessment. Douglas county is one of the counties in the state of Georgia. Douglas County is a community with a population of diverse characteristics and cultures. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the assessment of my target population (Douglas County) using the PHNAT tool, propose improvement strategies, and present the evaluation plan.

Target Population

My target population is the residents of Douglas county in the state of Georgia. The state of Georgia has 159 counties and is only second to the state of Texas (254) in the number of counties. Douglas County, Georgia, is located in the northwestern part of the state. This county is close to the state headquarters, in Atlanta. My target population is the residents of Douglas county, Georgia. Douglas county consists of people from different ethnic, cultural, political, and social groups. However, they form a population because they share the same geographical location. Therefore, they also share some determinants of health as well as risk factors for disease.

Data Collection Description

Data about the target population was collected from secondary and tertiary sources. This data included demographic information and data on specific determinants of health. Sources used to obtain data included the United States census.gov website, Cobb & Douglas Public Health website, American County Health Rankings, and healthydouglas.gov website. These websites contained current information of interest for this problem assessment. The US census.gov is a source maintained by the US Census Bureau through the U.S. Department of Commerce. This source sources for this data from various primary and secondary sources and surveys enable it to provide quality data to depict the picture of the American people and its economy. Cobb & Douglas Public Health website contains secondary data on lifestyle factors in health or the target population and this population’s access to health services. American county health rankings provided data on trends and rankling of the target population to the national statistics. This provided the basis for the analysis of data and planning for population health improvement. Healthydouglas.gov website is a corporate website that contained data on performance in the target population’s health performance and future plans and population health objectives.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Demographic and Biological Statistics 

Douglas county is seated on 200.1 square miles of land by surface area and this makes it the 137^th largest county. Per the July 1, 2021, (V2021) population estimates by the US Census Bureau, Douglas county had 145,814 people which was a 1.1% increase from the previous year’s statistics (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). The majority of the population is female (52.4%) those aged above 65 years are 12.2%, and children below 5 years are 6%. About 25.5% of the Douglas county population are minors (younger than 18 years). The population per square mile per 2020 reports was 720.7. Black or African American race is the predominant race and this is an important biological health determinant. The second common race is the whites alone. The other races are Hispanics, Asians, Hawaiians, and Alaskans. About 9% of the population are foreign-born persons. This racial diversity is associated with cultural diversity that determines factors such as health-seeking, behavioral health, and the use of complementary and alternative health

Social Health

On average, households in Douglas county have 2.83 persons. The rates of injury deaths (65/100,000) and violent crimes (306/100,000) are lower in Douglas county as compared with national estimates. The rates of social associations (49 per 100,000) and school segregation index (0.10) are also lower than national estimates. The majority of the people live in urban areas with only 15.8% living in rural areas (County Health Rankings, 2022). The data on religion and spirituality were unavailable for this target population. However, it can be summed up that the social health of the Douglas county population ranks higher than the national estimates for similar parameters.

Economic Health

The rate of uninsured people (15%) is higher in Douglas (DG) county than the nationally reported rates (11%). In comparison with the national statistics, Douglas county has relatively similar rates of unemployment (7.4%) but a lower income inequality ratio (4.1). However, more percentage of children live in poverty (17%) and single parenthood (32%). Therefore, economically, the target population is still behind and this could limit their access to healthcare services. According to Healthydouglas.org (n.d.), the majority of the population still lack access to healthcare services. Inadequate access to providers, lack of resources, and preexisting health conditions have worsened the burden of care in DG county.

Behavioral, Physical, and Environmental Health

DG county ranks better than national data on access to exercise opportunities (80%), physical activities (31%), excessive drinking, alcohol-impaired driving deaths (11%), sexually transmitted infections (481.7 per 100,000 people), and teen births. However, adult smoking (19%) and adult obesity (34%) rates are still higher in DG county than in the national benchmark data. Higher access to exercise opportunities and lower rates of physical activity can be associated with high adult obesity rates. The risk of cardiovascular and nutritional health among this target population is therefore higher. The rates of severe housing problems (16%), environmental pollution 9.5 cm³ or particulate matter), and severe housing cost burden (13%) are relatively similar to the national rates.

Cultural Issues of Diversity Impacting Community Health

DG county has various races and population groups as illustrated earlier. This racial diversity is associated with cultural diversity that determines factors such as health-seeking, behavioral health, and the use of complementary and alternative health. Lower rates of flu vaccinations (43%) and mammography screening (38%) in DG county can be associated with cultural variations and religious impacts. This has been reflected in the higher rates of preventable hospital stays (4997 hospital stays for ambulatory-care sensitive conditions per 100,000 Medicare enrollees). Preventive strategies such as seeking outpatient treatment and improving access to care services can partially be tied down to some cultural beliefs. However, economic factors must be accounted for in drawing this conclusion.

Community Health Needs Identification

A specific community health need was identified from the assessment using the PHNAT 3-5 data points. Increasing physical exercise (weight loss needs) and uptake of physical exercise opportunities were outstanding from the analysis of the community health assessment. This need was associated with, higher adult obesity rates, despite the higher access to physical exercise opportunities. Therefore, preventive and promotive health interventions are still required in DG county. Cobb and Douglas counties in 2016 reported that a significant proportion (17.4%) of the adult population in these two counties did not engage in any physical activities during their leisure time in the previous month before the survey (Cobb & Douglas Public Health, n.d.). Females and whites reported higher rates than other populations.

Specific Intervention Recommendation and Justification

Commuter cycling to the workplace among adults is a specific intervention that could address the community health need that was identified (Gálvez-Fernández et al., 2022). Commuter cycling program such as the Bikeshare programs among urban dwellers has been associated with lifestyle and health benefits. Despite the low uptake by commuters to work, a study by Bateman et al. (2021) found that the involvement of health policies can improve the usage of these prams to promote weight loss. Incentive programs, infrastructure improvement, and public health campaigns are public health interventions that can ensure increased uptake of this recommendation to improve adult physical health and minimize cardiovascular and related diseases’ risks.

Defense of Need for Intervention

The analysis of the community assessment also revealed that more than 55% of workers commute to work by driving. This value is higher than the national estimates (37%). Thus the need for a commuter program that would incorporate physical exercise and physical exercise. Among my target population, urban dwellers were also more than rural dwellers and rates of employment were relatively better than state and national estimates. Therefore, actively involving urban dwellers in active cycling-to-work programs will not only improve their physical health but also minimize environmental pollutions that were at the same level as national pollution estimates.

Proposition for Disseminating Assessment

The employed adults and the policymakers are key stakeholders who recommended interventions and the community health assessment. Therefore, disseminating these findings requires a targeted approach. Workplace seminars and mass media public health campaigns are my proposed strategies that can help disseminate these findings and more importantly the population health intervention. Reaching adults in their workplaces and those in the public will also require tailoring, targeting, and framing of the message to motivate them and increase their chances of uptake these interventions.

Specific Improvement Strategies

The healthy people 2030 objectives regarding overweight and obesity aim at reducing obesity and overweight by promoting healthy eating and physical activity. To enhance weight reduction among adults, encouraging counseling and promoting public health interventions can be important strategies. These strategies are in line with the healthy people 203 objectives. The goals of these strategies are to increase the proportion of adults overweight and obese who receive counseling on weight loss and physical activity during clinic visits and increase the proportion of adults overweight and obese who receive patient education on weight loss programs such as cycling-to-work interventions.

Conclusion

Assessment of my target population (residents of Douglas County) found that this population is diverse culturally as well as socially and economically. These diversities are linked to their general public health. My target population is majorly urban-based, predominated by African Americans and females, and had better social health than the national estimated indices. However, community health needs were found in adult smoking and weight loss. A specific intervention, a cycling-to-work program was proposed based on the adult obesity findings among my target population. This intervention and the findings could be disseminated through workplace seminars and public health campaigns. The specific goal will be to increase the population of individuals with adult obesity who receive care.

References

American Nurses Association. (2022). Public health nursing: Scope and standards of practice (American Nurses Association, Ed.; 3rd ed.). American Nurses Association, Nursing Knowledge Center.

Bateman, L. B., Fouad, M. N., Sullivan, A., Heider, L., & Oates, G. R. (2021). Barriers and facilitators to bikeshare programs: A qualitative study in an urban environment. Journal of Transport & Health, 21(101062), 101062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2021.101062

Cobb & Douglas Public Health. (n.d.). 2016 Cobb and Douglas community health assessment: Executive summary. https://www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-Cobb-Douglas-Community-Health-Assessment-Executive-Summary.pdf

County Health Rankings. (2022). Douglas, Georgia: County health rankings & roadmaps. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/explore-health-rankings/georgia/douglas

Gálvez-Fernández, P., Chillón, P., Aranda-Balboa, M. J., & Herrador-Colmenero, M. (2022). Preliminary results of a bicycle training course on adults’ environmental perceptions and their mode of commuting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3448. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063448

Healthydouglas.org. (n.d.). Strategic Priority 2: Access to Health Services. Live Healthy Douglas. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.healthydouglas.org/access-to-health-services/

United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). QuickFacts: Douglas County, Georgia [Data set]. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/douglascountygeorgia

Assignment Instructions

Public Health Nursing Assessment

The purpose of this assignment is to perform a public health nursing assessment to determine health needs and appropriate interventions for a population.

Performing a public health nursing assessment is a critical first step in determining health needs and appropriate interventions to meet them. For this assignment, you will perform a public health nursing assessment on a selected population using the Public Health Nursing Tool (PHNAT) included in Chapter 3 of the textbook. You are free to use your setting/population of interest discussed in Topic 3 DQ 1 or choose another population of interest. Consider the importance of preparing and providing quality care to the diverse groups within your target population.

Using the assessment framework provided by the PHNAT, develop a 1,500- to 1,750-word report summarizing your assessment findings and identifying the public health needs for your selected population. Your summary should address the following:

1. Define your target population.
2. Describe data collection method and sources.
3. Analyze and interpret data regarding diversity of target population and correlation of health issues. Include socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, and environmental factors that influence a population’s health and readiness for health promotion and disease prevention interventions.
4. Discuss cultural issues of diversity that may impact the community health.
5. Identify a specific community health need. Use 3-5 key data points from the assessment to support your rationale.
6. Recommend a specific intervention to address the identified community health need.
7. Defend why the 3-5 data points highlight the need for this intervention.
8. Describe how community stakeholders would be identified and engaged in the assessment process.
9. Propose how the assessment findings’ documentation regarding the health issue could be disseminated to the community and its stakeholders.
10. Develop two specific improvement strategies based on a Healthy People 2030 initiative that could be used to create an initial improvement plan. Present the strategies in the form of two S.M.A.R.T. goals as a measurement.

Support your information with a minimum of two peer-reviewed resources within the last five years.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

 

Public Health Nursing Assessment  Rubric

 

1.     TARGET POPULATION 8.75 PTS

The definition of target population is thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

 

2.      DATA COLLECTION DESRIPTION   8.75 PTS

Description of data collection method and sources is thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

3.      DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 17.5PTS

Analysis and interpretation of data regarding diversity of target population and correlation of health issues, including socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, and environmental factors that influence a population’s health and readiness for health promotion and disease prevention interventions, is thorough, and includes substantial supporting details.

 

4.     Cultural Issues of Diversity Impacting Community Health. 8.75 points

Discussion of cultural issues of diversity that may impact the community health.is thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

5.     Community Health Needs Identification 8.75 pts

Identification of a specific community health need based on 3-5 key data points is complete and thorough.

6.     Specific Intervention Recommendation 8.75pts

Recommendation of a specific intervention to address the identified community health need is thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

7.     Defense of Need for Intervention 17.5pts

Defense for why the 3-5 data points highlight the need for the intervention is thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

8.      Proposition for Disseminating Assessment Findings to community and stakeholders.17.5 points

A proposition for how the assessment findings’ documentation regarding the health issue could be disseminated to the community and its stakeholders is thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

9.     Specific Improvement Strategies. 17.5 points

Development of two specific improvement strategies based on a Healthy People 2030 initiative that could be used to create an initial improvement plan, where the strategies are presented using two S.M.A.R.T. goals as a measurement, is thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

10.  Thesis, Position, and Purpose 12.25 points

Communicates reason for writing and demonstrates awareness of audience.

The thesis, position, or purpose is persuasively developed throughout and skillfully directed to a specific audience

 

11. Development, Structure, and Conclusion 14 pts

Advances position or purpose throughout writing, conclusion aligns to and evolves from development.

12. Evidence 8.75pts

Comprehensive and compelling evidence is included. Multiple other perspectives are integrated effectively.

13. Mechanics of Writing 8.75pts

Includes spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, language use, sentence structure, etc.

No mechanical errors are present. Skilled control of language choice and sentence structure are used throughout.

14. Format/ Documentation 8.75pts

Uses appropriate style, such as APA, etc., for college, subject, and level; documents sources using citations, references, etc., appropriate to assignment and discipline.

No errors in formatting or documentation are present. Selectivity in the use of direct quotations and synthesis of sources is demonstrated.