COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING 2

MODULE 1
COMMUNITY
HEALTH NURSING
CONCEPTS
Lesson 1: Concepts of CHN
COMMUNITY HEALTH
NURSING
� Special field of nursing that combines
the skills of nursing, public health and
some phases of social assistance
(WHO).
� Promotes and preserves the health
populations.
� The practice is comprehensive and
general, and is not limited to a
particular age or diagnostic group; it is
continual, and is not limited to
episodic care (American Nurses
Association).
 IMPORTANT POINTS OF CHN
1. The goal of professional practice is the
promotion and preservation of the health
of populations.

2. The nature of practice is comprehensive,

general, continual and not episodic.
3. The knowledge base comes
from nursing and public health.

4. The different levels of

clientele – individuals, families
and groups.

5. The practitioner’s
recognition of the primacy of
the population as a whole.
12 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY HEALTH
NURSING
�The recognized need of individuals, families and
communities.
�Knowledge and understanding of the objectives and policies
of the agency facilitates goal achievement.
�CHN considers the family as the unit of service.
�Respect for the values, customs and beliefs of the clients
contribute to the effectiveness of care to the client.
�CHN integrated health education and counseling as vital
parts of functions.
�Collaborative work relationships with the co-workers and
members of the health team facilitates accomplishments of
goals.
�Periodic and continuing evaluation.
�Continuing staff education program
�Utilization of indigenous and existing community resources
�Active participation of clienteles in planning and making
decisions.
�Supervision of nursing services by qualified by CHN
personnel.
�Accurate recording and reporting
Characteristics of Attributes CHN

1. Greater control for both the nurse and the client in

making decisions related to health care.
2. Collaboration between nurse and client as equals.
3. Recognition of the impact of different factors on
health.
4. Nurse’s greater awareness of their clients’ lives and
situations.
Concepts and Theories Related to
Community Health Nursing
� Emphasis on the importance of the “greatest good for the greatest
number.”
� Assessing health needs, planning, implementing and evaluating
the impact of health services on population groups.
� Priority of health-promotive and disease-preventive strategies
over curative interventions.
� Tools for measuring and analyzing community health problems.
� Application of principles of management and organization in the
delivery of health services to the community.
 MODULE 1
CHN CONCEPTS
Lesson 2: Different Fields of Community
Health Nursing
School Nursing
�School nursing is a type of public health nursing that
focuses on the promotion of health and wellness of the
pupils/students, teaching and non-teaching personnel of the
school.

�School nurses also assist young people in making choices

for a healthy lifestyle, reduce risk taking behavior and focus
on issues such as prevention of drug and substance abuse,
teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection,
malnutrition, and communicable and non-communicable
diseases.
Occupational Health Nursing
�Occupational health nursing is a specialty nursing
practice that provides for and delivers health and safety
programs and services to workers, worker populations,
and community groups.
Community Mental Health Nursing
�Community Mental Health Nurses are specialized
Nurses who provide wholistic nursing services for
people with mental health issues, in a community
setting.
 MODULE 2:
NURSING
PRACTICE IN THE
COMMUNITY
Lecture 1: The COPAR Process
COPAR PROCESS
�COPAR stands for Community Organizing
Participatory Action Research
�A social development approach that aims to transform
the apathetic, individualistic and voiceless poor into
dynamic, participatory and politically responsive
community.
Emphasis of COPAR
�Community working to solve its own problem.
�Direction is established internally and externally.
�Development and implementation of a specific project
less important than the development of the capacity of
the community to establish the project.
�Consciousness raising involves perceiving health and
medical care within the total structure of society.
Importance of COPAR
�COPAR is an important tool for community
development and people empowerment as this helps
the community workers to generate community
participation in development activities.
�COPAR prepares people/clients to eventually take over
the management of a development programs in the
future.
�COPAR maximizes community participation and
involvement; community resources are mobilized for
community services.
Principles of COPAR
�People especially the most oppressed, exploited and
deprived sectors are open to change, have the capacity
to change and are able to bring about change.
�COPAR should be based on the interest of the poorest
sector of the community.
�COPAR should lead to a self-reliant community and
society.
Critical Steps of COPAR Process
1. Integration
2. Social Investigation
3. Tentative program planning
4. Groundwork
5. Meeting
6. Role Play
7. Mobilization or action
8. Evaluation
9. Reflection
10.Organization
Phases of COPAR
1. Pre-Entry Phase
�Is the initial phase of the organizing process where the
community organizer looks for communities to serve
and help.
�Activities during pre-entry phase include:
◦ Preparation of the Institution
◦ Site Selection
◦ Criteria for Initial Site Selection
◦ Identifying Potential Municipalities
◦ Identifying Potential Community
◦ Choosing Final Community
◦ Identifying Host Family
2. Entry Phase
�Sometimes called the social preparation phase. Is
crucial in determining which strategies for organizing
would suit the chosen community. Success of the
activities depend on how much the community
organizers has integrated with the community.
�Activities in the Entry Phase
◦ Integration
◦ Deepening social investigation/community study
◦ Core Group Formation
3. Organization-building Phase
�Entails the formation of more formal structure and the
inclusion of more formal procedure of planning,
implementing, and evaluating community-wise
activities. It is at this phase where the organized leaders
or groups are being given training (formal, informal,
OJT) to develop their style in managing their own
concerns/programs.
4. Sustenance and Strengthening Phase
�Occurs when the community organization has already
been established and the community members are
already actively participating in community-wide
undertakings. At this point, the different committees
setup in the organization-building phase are already
expected to be functioning by way of planning,
implementing and evaluating their own programs, with
the overall guidance from the community-wide
organization.
MODULE 2: NURSING
PRACTICE IN THE
COMMUNITY
Lesson 2: Bag Technique
Public Health Bag
�An essential & indispensible equipment for the public
health nurse which he/she has to carry along he/ she
goes home visiting- contains basic medications which
are needed for giving care
Bag Technique
�A tool use of a public health bag through which the
public health nurse, during his/ her home visit can
perform nursing procedures with ease; knowing he/ she
has with them their materials, it saves time & energy
with the end view of rendering effective nursing care
Principles of Bag Technique
1. Performing bag technique will minimize, if not prevent the
spread of any infection
2. It saves time and effort in the performance of nursing
procedures
3. The bag technique should show the effectiveness of total
care given to an individual or family
4. The bag technique can be performed in a variety of ways
depending on the agency’s policy, the home situation, or as
long as principles of avoiding transfer of infection is always
observed.
Points to Consider in the Use of the Bag
1. The bag should contain all the necessary articles, supplies and
equipment that will be used to answer the emergency needs
2. The bag and its contents should be cleaned very often, the
supplies replaced and ready for use anytime.
3. The bag and its contents should be well protected from contact
with any article in the patient’s home.
4. Consider the bag and its contents clean and sterile, while articles
that belong to the patients as dirty and contaminated.
5. The arrangement of the contents of the bag should be the one
most convenient to the user, to facilitate efficiency and avoid
confusion.