Please respond to each classmate with at least 125 words with a reference.
Discussion 1:
Throughout the N492 course, I discovered and learned about the diverse functions of community health nurses. For instance, with modules such as Ageism, Biases, Life Review & Ego Integrity, and LGBTQ+, I have understood the role of nurses in identifying and addressing the various healthcare needs of different demographics. The practical aspect of my 30 hours of field experience, especially while undertaking health promotion projects, has been a significant part of fulfilling this objective by providing an opportunity to apply these roles in actual world settings.
This course has also improved my understanding of the factors that influence the nature of health care and nursing practices. Assignments like the Aging & Bias essay enabled me to critically analyze how diverse health outcomes and care access are impacted by different factors like historical, legal, social, cultural, political, and economic forces. This objective was further strengthened by the use of the learning aids and participating in class discussions, which challenged me to consider the wider social context of community health nursing.
The modules on Epidemiology and School Health & STDs have also provided me with essential tools for evaluating the best strategies for vulnerable populations. The development of interventions for a hypothetical community helped me gain practical skills in planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion strategies and thus has enabled me to achieve this objective.
The Epidemiology module also gave me skills in analyzing data and predicting public health trends. This, together with my participation in community assessments, has boosted my capacity to see the lifestyle trends that will affect the health of communities and the future challenges for nursing. I have also strengthened my understanding and performance on lifestyle and health trends by being an active participant in discussions and assignments.
The course that deals with public health surveillance and outbreak investigation has been very beneficial. I have gained the necessary theoretical learning and practical application in assignments which allowed me to develop an acute comprehension on the role of a nurse in outbreak investigation, surveillance, and epidemiological principles application in public health practice. Additionally, the Disaster Management & the Importance of the Community Health Nurse module was the most interesting. By designing a PowerPoint presentation on disaster preparedness and response, I acquired skills that I can utilize to improve the nursing process throughout the disaster cycle. This experience has equipped me with the necessary knowledge and skills on how to effectively participate in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Lastly, my experience in N492 makes me feel that I have improved and developed myself in community health nursing. The course is not only theoretical but has also contributed to the development of my practical skills through the completion of relevant assignments and field experiences.
Discussion 2:
Reflecting on the comprehensive journey through this course, I have realized its profound impact on my understanding and approach to community health nursing. The structured objectives of the course have served as a guided roadmap, enabling me to navigate the multifaceted roles of a nurse within the community and public health sectors.
Starting with exploring older adults as a community cohort, the course facilitated a deep dive into the nuances of communication, biases, comfort levels, and treatments directed toward older adults. This segment profoundly opened my mind, allowing me to examine the evolving roles of community nurses in addressing the emerging health needs of diverse populations. Through assessments and real-world observations, I learned to appreciate nurses’ critical roles in care provision, advocacy, education, and leadership within community health settings (Swall et al., 2024).
As the class continued its learning journey into epidemiology, the course gave me the tools to understand and analyze the distribution and determinants of health and diseases. This knowledge was crucial in understanding and developing targeted interventions for vulnerable populations to prevent diseases and promote health across cohorts. Learning about outbreak investigations and public health surveillance has sharpened my nursing skills and knowledge, preparing me for proactive involvement in disease prevention and control efforts.
The exploration of school health and STDs was another illuminating segment. It taught me the importance of health education and the role of school nurses in fostering healthy school environments. Developing a hypothetical health education presentation to prevent pregnancy and STDs among high school students emphasized health promotion and empowering our young adolescents with knowledge and insights about potentially harmful STDs, thereby outlining options to make well-informed decisions when engaging in sexual activities to help mitigate high-risk exposure and harm.
Disaster management training was another impactful part of the course, highlighting the critical role of nurses in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery phases. Through my acquired learning, we were assigned to choose a natural or fictional disaster that could affect our home community. This assignment enabled me to apply nursing principles pragmatically in crises, ensuring efficient and compassionate care delivery during disasters and the ability to recognize the available resources, external organizations, and the weaknesses of the community infrastructure and response to man-made or natural disasters.
The course also deepened my understanding of the social determinants of health, revealing the complex interplay of economic, social, and environmental factors that influence health outcomes. This comprehensive view has equipped me to better address the needs of vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals, the LGBTQ+ community, and older adults, through culturally competent and socially informed nursing practices (Cavazos et al., 2023).
The most impactful learning gained from the course was the fieldwork activities performed in the community by paying meticulous attention to the environment, the people, behaviors, the physical structures, and the aesthetics that make up the overall community as a whole—enhancing our assessment, critical thinking, data collection, and evaluating skills set into a new level of organization and compiling our data into meaningful structured data. The community assessment field work brings more appreciation to our nursing profession and the responsibilities of the dedicated work community health nurses perform to ensure the safety, well-being, and public health of local individuals.
This transformative course has enhanced my competencies and confidence as a future public health nurse. It has broadened my knowledge base and instilled a more profound sense of responsibility toward fostering healthier communities. As I advance in my nursing career, I carry a fortified skill set and an enriched perspective, ready to contribute effectively to community health and public health initiatives.
