Community Health Nursing Issue Assessment

Community health nursing
Name
Institution
Introduction
In order to understand the needs within any community, an assessment is appropriate to get to know some of the challenges facing the community and how it can be addressed. Community needs can be assessed using existing data from various relevant institutions within the community and also conducting simple surveys to collect information within the target community (Clark & Buell, 2004). One of the effective approach is conducting a community based inquiry in evaluating health needs in order to assess and design a program that meets the needs of the community. The data collected is useful in assessing the current trends within the community and identifying gaps that needs to be addressed in order to improve the living standards within the target community (Lawrence, 2013). In this case, a community assessment for Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada will be presented and assessed using location, social systems and people. The three elements are considered to be community resources or assets that the community already have and can be used to improve the quality of service s offered to the community. The location is important because it helps in identifying structures that can be utilized. Analyzing people would provide an insight of the available skills within the community. Social systems are important during assessment because they provide information of the culture and lifestyles of people within the location.
Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia is located on the east coast of Canada and is considered as the largest city in Canada. It is also known for its renown harbor which is rich in maritime as it is ranked one of the best natural harbors in the world. Halifax, Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s main seaports and also acts as the only entry to Atlantic Ocean. Halifax habour has been important in Canadian history because it acted as the place where the first Canadian immigrated settled. It is the home of the African-Canadian people. Currently Halifax is the busiest seaport and considered as the center for cultural and economic activities of the eastern part of Canada (Glickman, 2012).
Social Systems
In relation to the 2011 census conducted by the government ,the population for Halifax Nova Scotia stands at 17,762 as there is a major shift of family structure from the old tradition of large families to smaller families, single parent families is on the rise (Glickman, 2012). The city is composed of large number of immigrants; through the nominee program 25,000 immigrants come to the city every year because the program attracts skilled workers. The city is known to have a friendly culture where several communities call it home as it host various groups of the Scottish people, French, Mikmaq and African nova Costas, bringing in a blend of cultural activities.
People
People living in Halifax, Nova Costa can trace their origin from the past century where immigrants came from various parts of the world especially Africa to settle in the town of Halifax Nova Costa. According to the national household survey done in Canada, there are 20,790 African Nova Scotia’s representing the largest group in the town (Glickman, 2012).
One of the Health Issue or Challenge That Exists In the Community
To identify the major issues that affect the people of Halifax, Nova Costa, demographic and epidemiological data review from sources like statistics identified that in Halifax people die early due to chronic health conditions like cancer as it contributes to sixty four percent of deaths. There are some of the life threatening diseases but cancer has been identified as one of the major health concerns (Nova Scotia Health, 2009).
The Determinants of Health That Influence the Health Issues
There are several factors influencing health, but the most influential one is the social-economical factors. The social economic factors affect how people live, grow and relate in terms of illness and the consequences as a result of the cause. Poverty causes disparities witnessed in Halifax especially on health (Nova Scotia Health, 2009).
What Is Being Done To Address the Health Issues?
Focus has been on chronic disease prevention that integrates various risk factors. The government has initiated a healthcare system emphasizing on primary health care. Furthermore, the Law states that as a matter of requirement all provinces should adopt and implement fund programs for healthcare to every of its citizens, meaning that basic health care services are offered for free in Halifax. However, certain procedures are not covered, for example, dental care. The government offers public funded health programs and in future plans are underway to insure all residents in Halifax for all medial related services. The services can be obtained at home and in school among other places (Donalee, 2014).
In a bid to fight poverty, the city has diverted its economic activities from the fishing industry to the growing industrial sector. Halifax is an urban center that has become a home for several industries as it attract skilled workers boosting the economy. In addition, because of its forest cover the city has engaged in agriculture to increase income. Recently oil exploration and gas has been initiated as tourism forms part of the city’s revenue .These are some of the initiatives to increase the living standards and improve on the social-economical factors affecting health in Halifax. With the above activities currently Nova Scotia has the highest income compared to other provinces with an average family income being $ 47,100. In Halifax the average income stands at $ 58,262 which is considered to be moderate (Atlantic report 2001).
The Role of Community Health Nurse in Advocating For Change Addressing Health Issues
In Halifax, community health nurses contribute in several ways to ensure service delivery is of quality standards. To improve health, community health nurses acts as leaders because they advocate for good health. They are at the far front of disease prevention as they play an important part of educating the community. Community nurses play an important role in supporting policy change, which impact on how health services would be administered. They further help individuals and other families become responsible for their health by providing knowledge and understanding of any health issues within the community. Community health nurses also work in collaboration with other stakeholders to help cope with any health situation that may arise by offering emergency services to the affected community members. They also participate in other health promotion activities to aid in prevention and treatment of diseases that have been identified within the community (Nova Scotia Health, 2009).
How the Assessment Was Conducted
The assessment was conducted using the existing data from achieves; this provided history of the town and the s...