The challenges in health systems should be understood while delivering health care to ensure the demands and needs of the people are met. Accessing people at the community level is an essential step in provision oh health care (Kaakinen et al. 2018). Family health-nursing, community nursing centers, and all public health departments should embark on the restoration of their strategies to serve the community (Potter et al., 2017). There is a need for revitalization of primary health care to strengthen and review health workforce in training and education, especially at the community level.
Family Health-Nurse Home Visit Programs
Family health nurse through spending most of their time in patients home and families help individuals and families cope with chronic disabilities and illnesses, or during times of stress. They provide the patients with advice on behavioral and lifestyle risk factors as well as assistance with matters concerning health to families (Sawyer et al., 2013). Health problems in families are promptly detected and treated at early stages of their development referring them to the appropriate agency (Kaakinen et al., 2018). Through family nurses, early discharge of patients from hospitals can be engaged as they can provide nursing care at home and act as a link between the health physician and the family. Families in the community benefit from nurse home visiting programs by in several ways including shorter stays in hospitals admission, lower medical costs, and fewer emergency room visits.
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Community Nursing Centers
Shift to the locus of health care has led to the development of community nursing centers. Nurses have chosen to have control of their practice by developing nurse-managed care centers to achieve control. It has been found that the traditional setting of nursing does not meet the needs of student education and nursing faculty practice for their clinical practice. Nursing centers are developed by schools of nursing to enable them to conduct research, faculty practice and as student learning laboratories (Kaakinen et al. 2018). There is an emphasis on community-based care centered on principles of public health leading to increased requisite for nurses who offer care that cuts across all settings.
The emergence of a variety of organizations has resulted as community nursing centers take several forms. They might be community nursing-centers based in institutions where they draw their mission from parent organizations. Others can be free-standing community nursing-centers parallel to community health centers, community nursing-centers founded by entrepreneurs, or health and wellness-promoting centers (Kaakinen et al. 2018). The functioning of these centers varies depending on their founders.
The common element in the centers’ mission is the expansion of access to nursing care. The under-served and vulnerable populations are the major target for the centers (Potter et al., 2017). Common characteristics of nursing centers include nurse-managed services which are directly made available to key clients, nursing models of direct care services, centers’ overall responsibility is under the nurse executive, and clients share responsibility and accountability for results of their care (Kaakinen et al. 2018). Primary care providers in most of the centers are advanced practice nurses. The practice of certified nurse midwives lead to the emergence of some of the oldest nursing centers, and the most significant group of nurse-managed centers is home health agencies. Families in the community benefit from community nursing-centers as they develop a one on one trusting relationships with the care providers. They also directly access the quality services from qualified nurses. Care coordination is fostered as the persons with cases requiring the attention of physicians, or other clinical staff are appropriately directed.
Public Health Departments
The public health departments are private, public, and voluntary units that provide public health services within a jurisdiction (Kaakinen et al. 2018). They are recognized in their role of providing public health services for their contributions to the well-being and health of the community. The public health departments include human service and charity organizations, public health agencies at local and state levels, health care providers, environmental organizations and agencies, public safety agencies, and economic and philanthropic organizations. Public health services offered by these public health departments vary relevant to their functions and objectives of on the matter. For instance, healthcare providers are responsible for diagnosing and investigation of health problems and hazards in a community (McCollum, 2017). The public safety agencies and environmental agencies enforce regulations and laws that ensure safety and protect health and development of plans supporting community and individual health efforts. It is through the public health departments that individuals address their issues related to their health and safety in a community. Availability and access to the departments enable individuals to solve health concerns as well.
Health in Home and Community Education
Individuals and community at large need to be educated on matters of health. Increasing people’s awareness on the threats that may arise from a health hazard or condition has the effect of encouraging them to participate towards protecting their health and the environment (Potter et al., 2017). The emphasis should be on people changing their behavior thus strengthening the existing health organizations and activities in the community.
Usefulness of a Family Health Nurse to Community
Family health-nursing is an essential program to adopt in several ways. First, the family nurses are useful as they are care providers who identify and assess the health needs and status of persons within the context of their communities and cultures. As care providers, they initiate, plan and offer care to families within their homes or community. This promotes health to communities, families as well as individuals (Mello, 2016). Second, they are decision makers who make decisions based on ethical principles. They empower and support families by participating and influencing them in making decisions regarding their health matters. Lastly, family health nurses are essential as they act as managers to a prevailing health condition (McCollum, 2017). They manage and coordinate care by use of research-based, clinical and statistical data in prioritizing illness and health-related activities as well as planning care.
Conclusion
Health care is an essential need for individuals. Meeting the health needs of people can not only be achieved at health facility centers but also in community-based health programs and individual and mass education. Nursing centers and family nurses' home visit programs should be the modern-day settlement houses and development of public health.
References
Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., Tabacco, A., & Hanson, S. M. H. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research (6 th ed). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
McCollum, M., Kovner, C. T. Brewer, C., Cohen, S., & Ojemeni, M. T. (2017). Nurses improve their communities’ health where they live, learn, work, and play. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 18(1), 7-16.
Mello D. F. (2016). Home Visit: Benefits for early child development. Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education, 6 (2), 422. doi: 10.4172/2161-0711.1000422
Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., & Hall, A. (2017). Fundamentals of nursing (9 th ed). Missouri: Mosby.
Sawyer, M. G., Frost, L., Bowering, K., & Lynch, J. (2013). Effectiveness of nurse home-visiting for disadvantaged families: Results of a natural experiment. BMJ Open, 3 (4): e002720.
