Research Study Proposal–Part III: Data Collection Methods for Problem Statement Presentation

Noemi Quintero

September 11, 2017

Lane Baggett

Research Study Proposal–Part I

Topic in Healthcare: Community Health Nursing

Problem Statement:

The evolving role of nurses has led to a significant shift and focus on community participatory health promotion and prevention. Unfortunately, many nurses are unequipped with appropriate skills, education, and knowledge to deal with healthcare in community settings.

While hospitals have been the major foundation for the delivery in the healthcare system, a major paradigm shift out of the acute care setting to the home and community setting is taking place. There is a growing recognition that many health problems have antecedents in the community and can therefore be prevented through improved population programs. Community health nursing is concerned with improving and sustaining the health of populations in communities. Similarly, the growing number of the aging population has increased the significance of long-term care in the home and community settings. With this evolving role of nurses, knowledge and competence in the care of culturally diverse communities is required on the part of nurses. Unfortunately, nurses lack appropriate education, knowledge, and skills on how to deal with populations in the community setting.

Care coordination is required to help patients in community settings to understand and manage their conditions. Skills in the use of health information technology to improve care coordination and communication between patients are providers are also required. According to McGillivray, M. E., Augart, S., Cranwell, J., Goerzen, M., Hong, M., Lee, R., & Donnelly, T. T. (2017), “people in the community possess the ability to care for themselves. Assistance and support are however needed from community health nurses” (p. 2). Ethical concerns are another emerging issue in community health nursing. Notably, in the community setting nurses come across people of diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Nurses should possess ethical knowledge and education on how to maintain a climate of respect and mutual values when interacting with patients in the community settings.

Community health nursing is facing the challenge of incompetent nurses who cannot perform and deliver in the community setting, as most are knowledgeable on how to operate in acute care settings. Lack of appropriate education leaves nurses unprepared for their shifting roles. Cultural barriers also present problems in community healthy nursing especially in the interaction with diverse cultures. According to Yang, K., Woomer, G. R., Agbemenu, K., & Williams, L. (2014), “most nurses lack the understanding and attitudes towards poverty” (p. 682). Consequently, difficulties are experienced when interacting with individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds. Another problem presented in the new paradigm of community nursing is lack of skills on how to collaborate in teamwork with patients to deliver patient-centered care.

References

McGillivray, M. E., Augart, S., Cranwell, J., Goerzen, M., Hong, M., Lee, R., & Donnelly, T. T. (2017). Enhancing social diversity and communication in an assisted living facility for older adults: a community health nursing project. International Journal of Nursing Student Scholarship, 4,1-22.

Yang, K., Woomer, G. R., Agbemenu, K., & Williams, L. (2014). Relate better and judge less: poverty simulation promoting culturally competent care in community health nursing. Nurse education in practice, 14(6), 680-685.