SCOPE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING PRACTICE

INTRODUCTION:-

Community health nursing is a synthesis of nursing practice and public health

practice applied in promoting and preserving the health of population. The nature of this
practice is general and comprehensive. It is not limited to a particular age or diagnostic
groups. it is continuous and not episodic. the dominant responsibility is to the population
as a whole.

DEFINITION:-

Community health nursing is a synthesis of nursing practice and public health

practice applied in the promoting and preserving the health of population

SCOPE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING PRACTICE:-

The scope of community health nursing practice encompasses; the goals and
aim of community health services, the priority practices and practice levels

 The goals and aim:-

Community health nursing, which is nursing aspect of organized
community health practice, is committed to the goals and aims of
community health. The goals of community health are: to promote and
preserve health, to restore health when it is impaired, minimize suffering
and distress and to promote quality living. These goals can be achieved
by providing compr ehensive health and nursing services as mentioned
above to the entired community and by working with individuals, families
and groups in the community with an aim of self care.
 The priority practices:-
The community health priority practices are based on the concepts of level
of prevention in relation to natural history of disease as put forth by leavell
and Clark. This level of prevention includes primary level prevention,
secondary level prevention and tertiary level prevention. The primary level
prevention is in the prepathogenesis phase of disease or health problems
and includes all those measures which promote general health and well
being of people and protect them for specific disease and health problems
e.g. healthful living, environmental sanitation, wholesome diet,
immunization and control of air pollution. The secondary and tertiary level
prevention are in the pathogenesis phase of a disease. Secondary level
prevention includes all those measures which help in arresting the disease
process, restore health and further spread of disease e.g. early diagnosis
and treatment, health education, immunization of population at risk, safe
 disposal and disinfection of infected excrement, infected equipment and
supplies. The tertiary level of prevention include all those measure which
help in in minimizing suffering, reducing or limiting the impairment and
disabilities and promoting adjustment to disabilities and promoting
adjustment to disabilitiese.g. medical rehabilitation, vocational
rehabilitation.
 The focus and practice level:-
Community health nursing which is nursing aspect of organized
community health practice is committed to the goals of community health
i.e. to promote and preserve health. To restore health when impaired, to
minimized discomfort and to promote and to promote quality skills. It
helps in achieving these goals by providing comprehensive health and
nursing care services to the entire community. Thus community is focus of
community health nursing services.

CONCLUSION:-

Community health nursing synthesizes the body of knowledge from public health
science and professional nursing theories for the purpose of improving the health of
entire community. The goal lies at the heart of primary prevention and health promotion
and is the foundation for public health nursing practice.