UNIT 1

INTRODUCTION

According to World Health Organization Expert Committee, “A Community is a social group

having following characteristics –
i. Determined by geographical boundaries
ii. Common values and interests
iii. Its members know and interact with each other
iv. It functions within a particular social structure and exhibits and creates certain norms,
values and social institutions

A EURO symposium in 1966 defined Community Health as including “all the personal health
and environmental services in any human community, irrespective of whether such services
were public or private ones”. Community health nursing is a comprehensive branch of
nursing which is based on RAIOE i.e.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

According to Hafden Mailer (1985), formal director of World Health Organization, “Basic
element of community health nursing is expansion of primary care of health and faith of
patients in nurse”

According to WHO Expert Committee, “Community Health Nursing/ Public Health Nursing
combines the skills of nursing, public health and some phases of social assistance and
function as a part of total public health program for the promotion of health, improvement of
conditions in social and physical environment, prevention of illness and disability and
rehabilitation”

According to European Conference on Nursing Administration (1959), “The Nurse most

directly concerned with giving health education and care to individual and family in
community”

CONCEPTS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

 Community health nursing identifies the need of holistic care approach.
 Community health nursing support that community-based efforts and involvement is
essential for the risk reduction.
 It realizes that health promotion and primary prevention are major activities in community
health nursing practice.
 It supports the entire community (individuals as well as families) is a focus for community
health nursing practice.
 It believes in overall development and well-being of individuals, families, communities
and nation.

OBJECTIVES, SCOPES AND PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 To assess the need and priorities of vulnerable group like pregnant mother, children and old
age persons.
 To provide health care services at every level of community.
 To make community diagnosis.
 To evaluate the health programmes and make further plans.
 To prevent disabilities and providing rehabilitation services.
 To provide referral services at various health care levels.
 To increase life expectancy.
 To enhance the standard of nursing profession through –
a. Conducting nursing research
b. Provide quality assurance in community health nursing
c. Performing the role of nurse epidemiologist

SCOPES
 Rural areas and slums of cities
 Special clinics
 Mobile camps
 Health centres
 Schools
 Industrial organizations
 Outdoor patient departments of big hospitals
 Fairs and other places of social functions/ gathering
 Rural and poor urban families etc.

PRINCIPLES
 Health services should be based on the needs of individuals and the community.
 Health services should be suitable to the budget; workers and the resources.
 Family should be recognized as a unit and the health services should be provided to its
members.
 Health services should be equally available to all without any discrimination of age, sex,
caste. Religion, political leaning and social or economic level etc.
 Health education is an important part of community health nursing. It should be pre-
planned, suitable to conditions, scientifically true and effective.
 Community health nursing should be provided continuously, without any interruption.
 Preparation and maintenance of records and reports is very important in community health
nursing.
 Community health nurses and other health workers should be guided and supervised by
highly educated and skilled professionals.
 Community health nurse should be responsible for –
a) Responsible for professional development
b) Should continuously receive in-service training and continuing education
c) Should follow professional ethics and standards in her work and behavior
d) Should have job satisfaction
 Must have effective team spirit while working in community.
 Timely evaluation is must for community services.

PRE AND POST INDEPENDENCE PERIOD