Bachelor of Science in Nursing: CHN 211 RLE

RLE MODULE RLE UNIT WEEK

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Overview of Public Health Nursing in the Philippines

 Read course and laboratory unit objectives

 Read study guide prior to class attendance
 Read required learning resources; refer to course unit terminologies for jargons
 Participate in weekly discussion board (Canvas)
 Answer and submit course unit tasks

At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:

1. Describe the significance of Community Health Nurse.
2. Classify the roles and responsibilities of the nurse in the community.
3. Identify the evolution of Public Health Nursing in the Philippines.
4. Recognize the responsibilities of nurse in promotion of health in the Community health care
settings
5. Contrast the role of Community Health Nurse in the present to the role of Community Health
Nurse in the past.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE

1. The main focus of community health nurse is health promotion.

Programmer/Planner
 Identifies the needs and concerns of individuals, groups, families, and the
community
 Formulates health plans, especially in the absence of a community physician
 Interprets and implements nursing plans and programs
 Assists other health team members in implementing health programs in the
setting
Health Educator/Trainer/ Counsellor
 Acts as resource speaker on health and health-related services
 Advocates health programs in the community through dissemination of IEC or
Information Education and Communication materials
 Conducts advocacy educations concerning premarital, breastfeeding, and
immunization counsellings
 Organizes orientation/ training of concerned groups like pregnant mothers
 Identifies and interprets training needs of health team members and formulate
appropriate training program for them
 Conducts and facilitates necessary training or educational orientation to other
health team members in the community

2. The recipient of care of community public health nursing practice is extended not only to the
individual but also to benefit the whole family and community.

Community Organizer
 Promotes self- reliance of community and emphasizes their involvement and
participation in planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating of health
services
 Initiates and implements community development activities

Coordinator of services
 Coordinates health services with concerned individuals and families through
the community health team members, government organizations and non-
government organizations
 Coordinates nursing plans and programs with other health programs

3. Community health nurses are generalists in terms of their practice through life’s continuum.

Provider of Nursing Care

  Renders direct care to various clients with different needs, may it be at home,
in school, clinics or work settings
   Involves the family in the care of the sick or dependent individual, i.e., sick
child

4. Continuity of care with the client, family or and the community extends for a longer time
involving individuals of all ages and health needs.

Health Monitor
 Monitors and detects the presence of health concerns in the community
through contacts or home visits.
 Utilizes various effective data gathering techniques in keeping an eye on the
health status of all recipients of care.
 Records and reports health status and presence of health problems in the
community

5. The nature of nursing practice in the community needs the knowledge of biological and
social sciences, ecology, clinical nursing, and community organizing, for it to be effective.

Researcher
1. Follows a systematic process of monitoring the health status of the community
through the conduct of surveys and home visits
2. Conducts researches concerning the health of the community
3. Coordinates with government and non- government organizations in the
conduct and implementation of studies

Statistician
 Records data systematically and ensures its validity through accurate and
complete data gathering
 Reports prepared reports to concerned organizations i.e. government
organization for immediate necessary plans or programs
 Consolidates and reviews reports efficiently.
 Analyzes and interprets consolidated data for monitoring the development in
the health matters of the whole community

6. This field of nursing practice utilizes a dynamic process (assessment, planning,

implementation, and evaluation) in the provision of continuous care until termination is implicit.

Change Agent
 Promotes and motivates change in the community in their health practices and
lifestyle behaviors for them to promote and maintain good health, be
knowledgeable and has the initiative in accessing health services
 Inculcates self- reliance to brought about development and improvement in the
community
SCENARIO:

Michael Luna who works as a community health nurse in his suburban community in La Union.
He visits 7-10 clients each day. On today’s visitations, Michael will provide care for four clients
who are recovering from Tuberculosis and three clients who are recovering from Diabetes
(increase blood sugar level), and he will provide oral antibiotics for a man with an infected
wound.

Among this list of clients, Michael visits Mrs. T., an 87-year-old white woman who lives alone
and is recovering Tuberculosis that she experienced coughing for almost 3 months ago.
Michael’s goals are to check on her recovery progress, reminding her medications in her
weekly medication container, and administer an influenza vaccine.
Upon entering Mrs. T.’s small house, Michael finds the house in disarray: clothes are scattered
about, dirty dishes with crusted food line the kitchen counters, and no lights are on. Michael
finds Mrs. T. lying in bed watching television. Mrs. T. complains to Michael of feeling too tired
to do anything; she eats only what is already prepared (e.g., frozen dinners or snack foods like
potato chips and cup noodles) because cooking requires too much effort. She spends most of
her days lying in bed and has not bathed in a week.
Michael helps Mrs. T. out of bed and assists her with a bath. After the bath, Michael fixes Mrs.
T. a quick lunch and refills her medication box while she eats. Michael encourages Mrs. T. to
start getting some exercise by doing the household chores so that her lungs can get stronger.
“The stronger your lung is, the more energy you will have,” Michael tells Mrs. T. Michael also
enlists several services for Mrs. T.: A barangay health worker will come to the house three
times a week to help Mrs. T. bathe, and meals will provide by the Barangay Nutrition Scholar
that will bring her breakfast and lunch. Finally, Nurse Michael administers the influenza
vaccine.
During Nurse Michael’s visit the following week, Mrs. T. is showing improvement. She tells
Michael, “I just love that Barangay Health Worker who comes to help me; she is just so sweet
and kind. And the Barangay Nutrition Scholar is a blessing, I now have more energy to keep
this place clean the way I like it.”

1. What challenges in the role and responsibilities of Nurse Michael face in his first visit
with Mrs. T. that a community health nurse (CHNs) Nurse Michael faced?
- Nurse Michael is facing a difficult situation since he is exposed to infected
people, posing a risk to his personal and health safety. Upon checking on
one of his TB patients, Mrs. T. he notices that the house is disarray and so
messy. It is disturbing since she lives alone with no one to look after her.
She isn't active nor productive in any way. She complains of being too
weary to do anything, eats only what has already been prepared, spends
the majority of her days in bed, and hasn't bathed in a week.

2. From your knowledge about the public health nursing, compare an example of care
displayed by nurses of the past versus to the current activities of Nurse Michael made to
Mrs. T.
- ask I observed, public health nursing before could not have enough area to conduct
clinical operations, and might be short on resources for administering therapies and
generating instructional resources. It may be also short on personnel or other
resources. Nurse Michael shows great effort and sympathy on taking care of his
patients as other nurses do. He shows professionalism and leadership and prepare
other health promotion activities that will improve the health of Mrs. T
3. How do the Roles and Responsibilities of Nurse Michael affect the health of Mrs. T?
-
4. What other health promotion activities besides Nurse Michael prepare to Mrs. T that will improve her
health?
- To assist Mrs. T., Michael engaged the assistance of a significant number of people. A barangay
healthcare worker will assist Mrs. T in bathing three times per week and breakfast and lunch will be
delivered to her by the Barangay Nutrition Scholar.

Famorca, Z., Nies, M., & McEwen, M., (2013). Nursing Care of the Community. ELSEVIER
MOSBY.