Running head: ESSENTIAL VII 1

e-Portfolio – Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health

Angèle C. Wright

Frostburg State University

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Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health

Essential VI of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) outlines the

importance of the baccalaureate trained nurse’s ability to effectively decipher the specific health

promotion and preventive needs of a family, community, and/or population. In order to do so,

the baccalaureate nurse must be well versed in the health needs of the individual or group and

well rounded so that he or she is able to effectively communicate any gaps in care to both the

patient population as well as other members of the health care team. The baccalaureate trained

nurse must also be adept and comfortable in perpetually researching the latest changes in

evidence-based clinical care while adaptive in their ability to smoothly incorporate the changes

into their daily practice. Unlike in other nursing specialties where the nurse responds to an

existing illness or event; in population-focused nursing, the baccalaureate trained nurse must

possess the foresight to anticipate a potential problem and the ingenuity, compassion, and drive

to put the necessary interventions in place within the community.

The Community Health Assessment assignment incorporates many of the tenets of

AACN’s Essential VII. Throughout the assignment, the nursing student is given the opportunity

to develop a health promotion plan for an existing community through physical exploration and

evidence-based research, as well as the possession of existing knowledge of chronic disease and

health concerns by generation, gender, population, and perceived health literacy. Upon

completion of said plan, the nursing student is expected to effectively communicate the

proponents of the plan to fellow colleagues. Ultimately, the plan would both require and benefit

from the involvement of all involved shareholders, such as healthcare professionals,

policymakers, and members of the intended community in order to make a difference of the lives

of the members of the targeted community.

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References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008, October 20). The essentials of

baccalaureate education. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-

resources/BaccEssentials08.pdf.