Challenges and Opportunities in Community Nursing

Abstract

Community health nursing is a comprehensive, holistic specialty. It is one of the ways through which the Health Department provides health care. Community health nursing not only focuses on the individual's health needs, but the health of the collective population. By working with whole communities and the health care system, a community health nurse can greatly influence the health of a population. Community health nursing offers the nurse a unique opportunity to be involved with a changing area of health care. It is a rapidly evolving field. It is challenging, dynamic, and extremely rewarding. Because of changes in the health care system, shifts in disease patterns, a globalized world, and health disparities between populations, the role of the community nurse is more important than ever. As with any area of nursing, there are and will continue to be many challenges in this field. However, these challenges come with many opportunities. In the proceeding paper we will explore numerous facets of community health nursing, in addition to the aforementioned challenges and opportunities. We will begin with the history of community health nursing and how it came to be. We will also look at the definition of community, and the evolving roles of the community nurse. Then we will explore the various theoretical concepts common to the practice, including the social determinants of health, health promotion, and the epidemiological approach. Finally, we will focus on certain global issues in community health nursing, and the role of the WHO in the community.