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NURS 4440

Windshield Survey Tool

For Community Health Nurses to be able to knowledgeably plan services for a community, it is essential to
know a specific community, identify health-related resources that may be helpful to members, and learn about
gaps in services. A windshield survey is conducted from a car and provides a visual overview of a community.
Conditions and trends in the community that could affect the health of the population are noted. This data
provides background and context for working in the community or for conducting a community assessment.
The clinical instructor will make specific assignments for the Survey. Information gathered from this survey is
to be incorporated in the group’s wiki for the Community Assessment Project.

Boundaries
Are the boundaries geographical, political, or
economic? How is this seen? Do
neighborhoods have names? Are there sub-
communities? How are these identified?
Notes
The geographical boundaries for 28216 include
highway 16, state road 24, interstate 77,
interstate 277, interstate 85, and interstate 485.
Political affiliation appears to include non-
affiliated, conservative, and democratic. The
economic status of 28216 in general ranges
from lower class – middle class. The estimated
median income is $45,000 per year. The
neighborhoods are named and identified by
entrance signs. There are also sub-communities
which are identified by signage. Some of the
neighborhoods include Biddleville-Smallwood
Community, Claiborne Woods, Fox Chase
Community, Hoskins Community, Historic
Washington Heights, and University Park.

There are homes and buildings that were built

Housing and Zoning
before 1950, but majority of the homes and
What is the age of the buildings? What are
buildings were built between 1950 -1989. The
the construction materials? Are the
homes and buildings are constructed from
residences single family or multifamily
brick, wood, and vinyl siding. Specifically in
dwellings? What is the size and condition of
the Beatties Ford Rd. area there are both single
the lots (repaired or damaged)?
and multifamily homes, as well as low-income
housing. These homes vary in size. The
condition of the homes also varies in the
Beatties Ford area. There are abandoned
homes, well-kept older homes, homes in need
of reconditioning, homes that have been
reconstructed, and new homes.

The entire 28216 zip code, for the most part, is

Signs of Decay
well maintained. In different areas there is
Is the area well maintained or in disrepair? Is
garbage scattered, trashed and abandoned cars,
there garbage strewn? Are there
field areas for rodents and other wildlife to
trashed/abandoned cars, places for rodents or
hide, as well as vacant lots. The residents and
other wildlife to hide, vacant lots?
city seem to do a great job of maintaining most

Parks and Recreational Areas
Are there play areas for children and adults?
Are they safe and maintained? Who uses
them?
Common Areas
Where do people collect for social gatherings
of all sorts; where do they “hang out”? Are
they for particular groups or are they open to
all? Are there signs posted?
Stores
What stores (grocery, retail, drug, dry
cleaning, etc.) are in the area? How do
residents travel to them?
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areas. The area consists of old and new. There
are homes and buildings that have been around
for decades, such as in the Beatties Ford Rd.
area. Then there are areas that are being
developed and quickly growing like Mount
Holly-Huntersville and the Northlake Mall
area.
There are parks and recreational areas for
children and adults. Mecklenburg County Park
and Recreation is on Highway 16. Specifically
in the Beatties Ford Rd. area the parks and
facilities include the YMCA, the track and
field at Johnson C. Smith University, Firestone
Neighborhood Park, and Hornets Nest Park.
These areas appear safe and well maintained.
Biddleville Park is also in the Beatties Ford Rd.
area. It appears to be maintained, but not used.
All of these facilities are used by the residents
of the area.
There are many areas for social gatherings in
the 28216 area code. There are churches, the
park and recreational facilities (as previously
mentioned), restaurants, and clubs. In the
Beatties Ford Rd. area there is Johnson C.
Smith University (which is a common area for
the student population), many churches, parks,
local eateries such as Nikki’s, Mr. C’s, The
Original Chicke-N-Ribs, Club Excelsior.
There are a number of fast food restaurants,
such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King
where many people like to hang out. There are
also a number of corner-stores where the teens
and young adult population like to gather.
These gathering areas are easily identified by
building signs. They are open to all, but those
that socialize together may share a similar
culture and lifestyle.
The 28216 zip code consists of numerous
grocery stores, retail shops, drug stores, dry
cleaners, and gas stations. This includes
Walmart, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Circle K,
and North Lake Mall. Residents travel by car
or public transportation. In the Betties Ford
Rd. area there is Food Lion, Two-Way (gas
station), Biddleville Pharmacy, corner-stores,
meat markets, and a number of beauty salons
and barbershops.

Transportation
How do most people get around the area? Is
there public transportation? If so what kind
and does it appear to be used? Who uses it?
What is the condition of the streets, roads,
highways?
Communication
Is there evidence of local and national
newspapers to other media? Are there
informational posters on streets, busses,
billboards, etc.?
Service Centers
Where are the services for the community
located – health care, social services, schools,
employment offices etc.?
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The most common means of transportation in
the Beatties Ford Rd. area include driving a car
alone (76%), carpooling (14%) and traveling
by bus or trolley bus (5%). The CATS
(Charlotte Area Transit System) is the main
mode of public transportation. While
observing the community, many bus stops were
occupied with 3-4 awaiting passengers. Some
of the passengers were in their work uniforms
and others were casually dressed.The
conditions of the roads range from roads that
need minor repairs to roads that have been
newly paved.
The Charlotte Observer and Mountain Island
Weekly are delivered to the 28216 area. There
are numerous billboards advertising and
promoting local schools, businesses, and public
awareness. Informational posters are located on
busses, around the university, in small
shopping centers, and health care facilities in
the areas. The posters contain information
about Johnson C. Smith, local events and
services around the community.
The majority of the services for the community
in the 28216 area are located immediately off
Beatties Ford Rd. These services include the
Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg
County, Beatties Ford Road Branch, Prime
Care Medical Center, Professional Career
Center, Mecklenburg Health Department,
Adult Day Care, Family Counseling Services
and Another Choice for Black Children.
Schools located around the area include West
Charlotte High School, Bruns Elementary
School, Hornets Nest Elementary, Mountain
Island Elementary School, Lincoln Heights
Elementary School and University Park
Middle.

People in the Community
Who is in the area during the day? How are
they dressed? Are there animals (pets) with
them or in the area? What evidence is there
of particular. “classes” of people – upper,
middle, working, lower?
Industries
What are the major industries? What
types of occupations are evident?
Protective Services
Where are fire and police stations located? Is
there evidence of police and fire protection in
the area? Is it more in one region than another?
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During the day on Beatties Ford Rd. there was
a variety of people, ranging from those that
were unemployed and just hanging out,
students, and workers on their lunch breaks.
The style of dress in the area also varied.
Some were in their work uniform, some
casually dressed (business casual, so to speak),
others were dressed in urban wear. While
conducting the windshield survey no animals
were observed, but after speaking with some
residents in the Beatties Ford Rd. area, many of
them noted having dogs. Class is evident in
the area by the types of cars that are drive, the
up keep of the homes and the surrounding
facilities, the appearance of the residents etc.
Depending on which end or area of Beatties
Ford Rd(or surrounding) that you are on, may
help to better determine the class of people. As
previously mentioned, it ranges from lower
class to middle class.
The two major industries based upon
employment are the Education and Health field
which consists of 11% of the workforce and
Retail/Wholesale that consists of 9% of the
workforce in the 28216 community. Other
industries noted are Manufacturing and
Finance/Real Estate. Employers in the area
include fast food restaurants, numerous banks,
Johnson C. Smith University and health care
facilities.
Fire Station 15 is located on Keller Avenue,
off of Beatties ford road in Charlotte. The fire
department was rather small and didn’t
compare to the largely populated area, in case
of an emergency it is likely that other fire
departments would be contacted for assistance.
There are two police stations on Beatties ford
road that are located approximately 2 miles
from each other. While observing the area
numerous officer vehicles were spotted around
the community. One officer was sitting in a
school parking lot, another officer appeared to
be talking to a group of young men in the park
and another one was spotted sitting in the
middle of a common intersection on Beatties
Ford Rd.

Ethnicity
What is the predominant ethnic group? Are
there residents from a variety of ethnic
backgrounds or is the community mostly one
group? Which one? Are there stores,
restaurants, churches, schools, or languages
that indicate a particular ethnic group(s)?
Religion
What churches and church-run schools are
in the area? Who apparently uses them and
when? How many are there?
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The predominant ethnic group in the 28216
area is African American population, which
consists of 60% of the community. 30% of the
residents are White and the remaining 10%
consists of other races including Pacific
Islander/Asian, Hispanic and mixed races.
Johnson C. Smith University is considered an
HBCU (Historical Black College or
University) and Another Choice for Black
Children is a Charlotte-based adoption agency
that works to find homes for African-American
children and other children with special needs.
The area consists of numerous religious
facilities and denominations. After talking to
some residents around the area, the dominant
religion in the area is Baptist. Residents
attending the local services range from lower to
middle class community members. Some of the
bigger churches in the area include University
Park Baptist holding Sunday morning worship
services, Sunday morning youth worship
services are also held in the Family Life and
Wellness Center and Thursday evenings, Bible
Study begins. In addition to traditional
services, The Park offers organized
recreational events and professional catering
for banquets and receptions. It also encourages
physical health by providing a weight room
and an aerobics room with scheduled fitness
classes. The church has a Prayer Room,
counseling services for both members and non-
members, a children’s nursery, a Mother’s
Morning Out and a Kingdom Kids After
School program. Williams Memorial
Presbyterian Church holds Sunday Services
weekly, bible study held daily, and summer
camp for children. Wilson Heights Church of
God holding services on Sunday, Wednesday
Night Bible Study and Cub scouts weekly.The
religious based school in the area is the Salem
Christian Academy, there are 34 Students who
attend daily ranging from kindergarten to 6th
grade.

Health and Morbidity
Is there evidence of any health problems
such as drug abuse, communicable
diseases, chronic diseases, mental illnesses
etc.?
Politics
Is there evidence of any political activity? Are
there any signs that indicate predominant
political parties and political concerns?
(Modified from Stanhope M., & Knollmueller, R. N. (1997). Public and community health nurse’s consultant:
A health promotion guide. St. Louis: Mosby.)
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On Beatties Ford Rd. and the surrounding area
the number of fast food restaurants and eateries
may attribute to chronic disease. Individuals
were observed smoking, while conducting the
survey, but no one was seen using drugs or
drinking alcohol. (***Please view the chart on
the next page for disability statistics for
28216.)
While riding around the community there
wasn’t any active political activity but there
were many signs supporting and indicating the
community was predominantly Democratic.
Many car bumpers were decorated with
“Obama” car decals, one small boy was
wearing an “Yes We Can” t-shirt, and some
homes had “Obama” flags visible. The
university, Johnson C. Smith, openly affiliates
with both the Democratic and Republican party
however the vast majority is Democratic.
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***”QT-P21. Disability Status by Sex: 2000
Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data
Geographic Area: 28216 5-Digit ZCTA

Male Female
Disability status of the civilian noninstitutional population Both sexes

Population 5 years and over 27,774 12,808 14,966

With a disability 6,229 2,810 3,419
Percent with a disability 22.4 21.9 22.8

Population 5 to 15 years 4,767 2,378 2,389

With a disability 243 144 99
Percent with a disability 5.1 6.1 4.1
Sensory 59 20 39
Physical 41 24 17
Mental 161 108 53
Self-care 20 20 0

Population 16 to 64 years 19,483 9,048 10,435

With a disability 4,444 2,119 2,325
Percent with a disability 22.8 23.4 22.3
Sensory 434 196 238
Physical 1,182 415 767
Mental 672 308 364
Self-care 395 176 219
Going outside the home 1,892 785 1,107
Employment disability 3,259 1,613 1,646

Population 65 years and over 3,524 1,382 2,142

With a disability 1,542 547 995
Percent with a disability 43.8 39.6 46.5
Sensory 340 132 208
Physical 1,035 342 693
Mental 444 150 294
Self-care 427 152 275
Going outside the home 806 256 550

Population 18 to 34 years 7,560 3,594 3,966

With a disability 1,337 795 542
Percent enrolled in college or graduate school 20.1 21.5 18.1
Percent not enrolled and with a bachelor's degree or higher 9.1 6.9 12.4
No disability 6,223 2,799 3,424
Percent enrolled in college or graduate school 26.0 21.1 30.0
Percent not enrolled and with a bachelor's degree or higher 19.0 19.7 18.3

Population 21 to 64 years 16,962 7,913 9,049

With a disability 4,073 1,935 2,138
Percent employed 59.3 65.9 53.2
No disability 12,889 5,978 6,911
Percent employed 78.2 85.9 71.5

Male Female
Disability status of the civilian noninstitutional population Both sexes
(X) Not applicable.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 3, Matrices P42, PCT26, PCT27, PCT28, PCT29,
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Male Female
Disability status of the civilian noninstitutional population Both sexes
PCT30, PCT31, PCT32, and PCT33.”
Obtained from http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=86000US28216&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP21&-
ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U on January 19, 2010.

References

http://www.city-data.com/zips/28216.html January 19, 2010

http://community.adoption.com/groups/another-choice-for-black-children.html January 19, 2010
http://www.zipmap.net/ obtained 1/19/10
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/zip/28216 obtained 1/19/10