Select a qualified leader/coordinator to establish and direct community resources to assess the health care needs of the residents. A leader is necessary to coordinate the efforts of individuals working to improve the structures supporting community health.
Communicate widely and through multiple media outlets the need for participation in surveys and assessments to determine deficiencies in community health. Understanding proposed actions and expectations reduces anxiety and suspicion; it increases cooperation among the community residents.- Assess community demographics. An understanding of who has health needs to be addressed provides efficiency and effectiveness in delivering care.
Evaluate prevalence of health problems and risk behaviors. Understanding the medical conditions and nursing needs are essential components of providing professional services to meet the community's needs.- Establish scope of need and the reality of resources available to meet the needs. Integrating the knowledge gained about community deficit enables community leaders to identify scope of need, scope of work, and means to accomplish it.
- Create opportunities for community resources to begin services to the community residents in need. Volunteers and concerned individuals can provide local services to meet the needs of “their neighbors” and promote goodwill.
- Foster relationships at all levels (local, regional, and national) that secure resources to enable policy, funding, and actions plans that correct deficiencies in community health. In communities of any size, working together for common goals creates synergy and moves the agenda forward.
- Plan for resident (community)-centered, safe, equitable, effective, efficient, quality, and timely delivery of health care. These aims from the Institute for Medicine provide guidance in the outcomes desired for the community health care delivery.
Teach the community members about their roles in self-care, disease management, and community care. This facilitates autonomy to improve health and promote community-centered care.- Educate students about their responsibilities, self-care, health maintenance, and health protection. Positive health habits, positive self-esteem, disease avoidance, pregnancy avoidance, and successful completion of high school coupled with plans for a vocation or higher education reduce the current and future burden on the community's health.
- Support and encourage the community as it moves forward. Barriers and challenges to initiatives may develop and can be surmounted with professional guidance.
- Encourage groups, agencies, and residents to find common ground and goals to work on together to identify solutions to meet the needs of the community. In finding common ground, a commitment to the group process and the outcomes goal evolve into a solution.
- Solicit a cadre of individuals with expertise to enhance the assessment, planning, and implementation phases of the community health plan. Advanced knowledge of the community health assessment and promotion process enables local leaders and residents to move steadily toward positive health outcomes.
- Engage local educators and community leaders to provide insight and recommendations for implementing the health plan. Local experts can be translational leaders in bringing the right residents forward to benefit from the ideas and resources made available through the community health initiatives.
Suggested NIC Interventions
Community Health Development; Program Development; Environmental Management: Community; Health Screening; Community Disease Management |