Reflection
This reflection is comprised of 2 sections, collectively totaling a minimum of 700 words. This activity is meant to help you review concepts in preparation for the competency assessment.
Reflect on the following in a minimum of 700 words.
Part 1: Clinical Activities: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the Community (12 Direct Care Hours)
From the results of your windshield survey, you will identify health issues facing people in the community. You will prepare to teach your chosen family how to reduce the risk of and prevent the initiation or exacerbation of health-related problems in the community.
Alternatively, you may choose to work with individuals, families, or groups that access services at a community agency. (If you choose to visit an agency, make sure it is approved by your clinical coordinator and course faculty with the Agency Permission Agreement Form or Family Consent and Release Form).
Consider the following areas in your community where you might find factors that contribute to health issues in the community:
Healthy food options
Geographic boundaries
Housing and zoning
Open space
Commons
Transportation
Social service centers and their locations
Stores, businesses, and industries
People and animals encountered on the street
Physical condition of the area
Racial and ethnic makeup of the population
Religious institutions/places of worship
Health indicators and morbidity and mortality data
Politics
Media
Signs of decay (e.g., conditions of roads, abandoned buildings)
Crime rate
Employment rate
Schools
Environmental factors (e.g., locations related to water treatment plants, garbage dumps, industrial pollution)
Public services (e.g., fire, police)
In collaboration with your patient population (i.e., individual, family, group), identify 3 current public health issues facing the individual, family, or group in their community. The family will prioritize and select 1 health issue to work on. Select at least 1 intervention for the health issue, including the available community resources. Ensure the chosen interventions are realistic and attainable.
Provide education and/or health counseling to the patient population about the selected health issues. This can be achieved with an individual, family, or group. Limit each teaching session to 30 min. (15 min. teaching plus 15 min. for evaluation).
Evaluate the patient population’s understanding of the provided education or counseling. To do this, ask the participant(s) to tell you at least 3 key points that they learned from the health education/counseling you provided. Note: Key points in this context are elements of the education/counseling that are considered important to both the patient and the nurse.
Write a 350-word summary of your interaction with the family. Include the identified public health issues, the health counseling/teaching delivered, and your evaluation. As you write your summary, be sure to reflect on the clinical objectives for the week; discuss how you met the objective(s).
Note: The time spent writing this summary cannot be included in the calculation/achievement of your direct care hours.
Part 2: Needs of Vulnerable Populations
Defining the needs of a vulnerable population is key to providing the best care.
Research three rural populations in your state.
What was most surprising to you about the demographics and social determinants of health (SDOH) in your selected locations? Why was it surprising?
Using the definition of underserved in which, “Underserved relates to limited access to services that are accessible, acceptable, and affordable, including healthcare” (CDC, 2022), what services were limited, difficult to access, unacceptable, or unaffordable to the patient population?
What relationships do you see between the SDOH and people who are medically and/or socially underserved in your selected locations?
Respond by explaining the data found about the communities. Defining the needs of a vulnerable population is key to providing the best care.
Note: Although references are not required, if you do use references in either section, format your in-text citations and references according to APA guidelines.
Submit your reflection.
