CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SPECIALIZED COMMUNITY HEALTH
NURSING
COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING is all about delivering healthcare where people
live, learn, work, and interact, not just in hospitals. While GENERAL COMMUNITY
HEALTH NURSES focus on a broad population, some situations require specialized
skills and knowledge. This is where specialized fields come in.
Why Specialization is Important
➔ Different settings have unique health challenges:
1. Schools deal with childhood illnesses, nutrition, and growth.
2. Workplaces face occupational hazards.
3. Communities have mental health concerns and vulnerable groups.
4. Homes may require palliative or chronic illness care.
By training nurses in these specific areas, health interventions become more targeted,
efficient, and effective.
CHAPTER 2: SCHOOL HEALTH NURSING
Definition:
School Health Nursing is a branch of public health nursing dedicated to the promotion
and maintenance of health in the school population, including students, teachers, and
other staff.
It applies nursing theories and principles to keep the school community healthy, prevent
illness, and respond to emergencies.
Core Purpose:
● Keep children healthy so they can learn effectively.
● Maintain a safe and healthy school environment.
● Educate the school population on healthy practices.
Eight Components of a School Health Program:
1. School Health Services
● Maintaining the school clinic.
● Conducting health screenings (vision, hearing, scoliosis).
● Providing first aid and basic treatment.
2. Health Instruction
● Serving as a health educator and counselor.
● Teaching about hygiene, nutrition, reproductive health, mental health.
3. Health Monitoring
● Mental Health: Preventing substance abuse, supporting emotional wellness.
● Environmental Health: Ensuring safe food, clean water, pest control.
● School–Community Linkages: Connecting with local health centers for referrals.
Functions of a School Nurse
Conduct school health and nutrition surveys.
Set up and maintain a clinic.
Perform health assessments and refer cases.
Provide counseling and emergency care.
Organize health education activities.
Lead disease prevention campaigns.
Inspect school facilities for safety.
Visit students’ homes if needed.
Keep a health data bank.
Legal Basis for School Health
Key laws in the Philippines:
● PD 603 – Child and Youth Welfare Code (health promotion and rights of
children).
● EO No. 14 (1946) – Creation of Medical and Dental Services in schools.
● RA 951 (1947) – Medical inspection of school children.
● PD 491 (1974) – Nutrition Act.
● LOI 441 (1976) – Nutrition Education in schools.
● LOI 764 (1977) – School Health Guardian Program.
CHAPTER 3: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSING
Definition:
Occupational Health Nursing is nursing practice in the workplace that focuses on
promoting, protecting, and restoring workers’ health while ensuring a safe environment.
This comes from RA 1054 – The Occupational Health Act in the Philippines.
It tells us what kind of health services, personnel, and facilities a company must have
depending on how many employees they have and how far they are from health services.
📌 Company Requirements Under RA 1054
1. Businesses with fewer than 30 employees
Requirement: No need to hire their own Occupational Health Nurse (OHN).
Health services are provided by the Public Health Nurse (PHN) from the local health
office.
The PHN visits or is available for medical concerns.
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2. Businesses with 30–100 employees AND within 1 km of a PHN
Requirement: Still no full-time OHN needed because the PHN is nearby.
The company must:
Keep emergency medicines on site.
Ensure these medicines are under the charge of a nurse (could be part-time or visiting
nurse).
Provide free emergency medical and dental care for employees.
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3. Businesses with 30–100 employees BUT located more than 1 km from a PHN
Requirement:
Must hire an Occupational Health Nurse (OHN).
Must also provide supplies and equipment for basic health care.
Why? Because they are far from public health services, so the company has to handle
health needs directly.
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4. Businesses with 201–300 employees
Requirement:
Must have an OHN.
Must have supplies and equipment for health care.
Must employ a resident (or retained) physician and a dentist.
Additional requirement: Keep a stock of emergency medicines and have a room for
emergencies.
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5. Businesses with more than 301 employees
Requirement:
Must have an OHN.
Must have supplies and equipment.
Must employ a physician and a dentist.
Must have a permanent clinic (ratio: 1 clinic per 100 employees) OR have access to a
hospital within 2 km.
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Why these rules exist
Bigger companies = more workers = higher health risks.
Companies farther from health facilities must be more self-reliant.
These requirements ensure workers get timely medical attention, especially in
emergencies.
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💡 Memory tip for exams:
Think of the rule as “The bigger the company, the bigger the health team and facilities
required” — and the 1 km distance rule determines if they need their own nurse.
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If you want, I can make you a color-coded diagram showing this as a pyramid so you can
easily visualize the increasing requirements as company size grows.
Do you want me to make that?
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Types of Workplace Hazards
1. Health Hazards – cause illness (chemicals, viruses, dust).
2. Safety Hazards – cause injury (slippery floors, unguarded machines).
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Controlling Hazards
Administrative Control – Policies, job rotation, safety training.
Engineering Control – Soundproof rooms, safer chemical substitutes.
Material Provision – PPE (gloves, masks, helmets).
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Examples
Biological: Blood exposure → Hepatitis B.
Chemical: Solvents → headaches.
Physical: Noise → hearing loss.
Ergonomic: Poor posture → back injury.
Psychosocial: Stress → burnout.
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Occupational Health Nurse Duties
From PD 856 – Sanitation Code:
Inspect workplaces for compliance.
Recommend business permits.
Respond to worker complaints.
Educate about hazards and PPE.
Keep worker health records.
Ensure provision of medical facilities.
Refer serious cases to higher authorities.
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Chapter 4: Community Mental Health Nursing
Definition
A decentralized approach to mental health care that delivers accessible services in
community settings instead of central hospitals.
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What is Mental Health?
A state where a person can:
Realize personal abilities.
Handle life’s normal stresses.
Work productively.
Contribute to society.
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Program Components
Stress Management – coping skills training.
Substance Abuse Rehabilitation – community-based drug recovery programs.
Treatment of Mental Illness – outpatient therapy, counseling.
Support for Vulnerable Groups – people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, HIV/AIDS,
conflict-affected communities.
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Philippine Initiative
Lusog-Isip App – First Philippine mental health mobile app, offering:
Self-help tools.
Counseling resources.
Connection to community rehab programs.
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Chapter 5: Emerging Fields in the Philippines
1. Home Health Care – Nursing services at home to manage illness and disability.
2. Hospice and Palliative Care – Comfort care for terminally ill patients (“helping the
dying live until they die”).
3. EntrepreNurse – Nurse-led business ventures (e.g., private home care).
4. Faith Community Nursing – Combining health care with spiritual support.
MADE BY AMJF! 🎀
