N109: Foundations in Nursing Practice

N109: Foundations in Nursing Practice Study Guide

Psychological Individuals with psychological or mental health issues may not be able to access the healthcare system and may present unusual issues for the community nurse. Interventions must be aimed at helping these individuals more easily access the system by identifying the patients, helping find physicians and transportation to appointments, and ensuring that the individual follows up. Family Environment Family support and the overall tone of the family can largely impact an individual’s health, especially for children. The family’s ability to handle stress and life changes will create either a positive or a negative environment. Patterns of violence and parenting will affect health, growth, and development. Caregivers may experience role strain if they do not have support themselves and opportunities for respite. Cultural/Spiritual Beliefs Cultural and spiritual beliefs in a community may determine the healthcare practices that are sought and followed by the population. If an individual’s religious beliefs prohibit vaccinations, for example, any teaching about vaccinations will probably be rejected and the nurse should develop alternative interventions. The nurse must also be aware of the use of ethnic healers and alternative treatments in a community. Learning the communication styles, time orientation, and heritage of a culture are also important in effectively working with the community. 7.8 The Nursing Process Assessment The nurse in the community should work first to gain acceptance in the community before attempting to gather information about the health of the community. Once accepted into the community, the nurse can use interviews, observation, health records, and direct evaluation to gain information. The astute nurse will gather information about the individual and family in the context of the community. The nurse should use morbidity and mortality reports to identify healthissues that might exist in the community, such as the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. The nurse must understand the violence rates in the community to understand and anticipate the kinds of injuries that might occur. The nurse should understand the ethnic composition of the served community in order to anticipate health issues and practices. As the nurse assesses the socioeconomic status of the community, he must be alert to income, education, employment, community leaders, access to healthcare, recreational activities available, and the general cohesiveness of the community. Analysis The community nurse must collaborate with the individual, family, and community to identify potential and actual health problems. All nursing diagnoses should be prioritized based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs with lower level needs being addressed first. The nursing diagnoses that are developed may include diagnoses such as:

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