A primary concern in nursing is the comprehension of interactions between people, the environment and the health. A means through which these interactions can be understood is community assessment. At its core, community assessment refers to the comprehensive evaluation of the status of a community. Through community assessment, strengths and weaknesses of community are identified and the information later used in the development, evaluation, and implementing of programs that can improve the health and overall well-being of a community. An informal approach used for conducting a community assessment is performing a windshield survey. Through the method one can independently and subjectively assess the physical, visual, and basic characteristics while driving or walking through a community. The rationale behind the windshield survey is to provide a representation of an area, identify any prevailing health problems, and associate any needs. This paper will conduct a windshield survey for Oceanside, Southern California.
Geographical Assessment
Located in Southern California, Oceanside is a coastal city and also the third-largest city in San Diego County. The primary coordinate point for Oceanside is located at a latitude of 33.1959 and a longitude of 117. 3795. The boundaries for the Oceanside city are made of a land and water area that cover 41.25 and 0.92 square miles respectively. Oceanside also lies in the Pacific Time zone with an elevation of 66 feet. The city is also bordered by the San Luis Rey River.
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House and Commercial Buildings
Oceanside is a densely populated region in San Diego compared to other cities. As of 2019, Oceanside has a population of 176, 193. Statistic also reveal that there are approximately 66, 475 housing units in Oceanside. There are various styles of homes built in this region. They range from the vintage houses to modern houses. The vintage houses trace way back in the 19 th Century. Among the vintage houses include the Bunker House and Rorick (Varela, 2020). The Bunker House serves as a juxtaposition between the rows of modern vacation located in the beaches of Oceanside. The Rorick house, on the other hand, look out of place because they are covered with weathered wood shingles, in an area made of buildings that have well-manicured lawns. Oceanside prides itself in well-tended yards and spacious compounds. There are also apartments, mansions, condominiums, and townhouses. Oceanside also has various malls sed for commercial purposes. Examples of malls include The Forum Carlsbad, River Village, and El Camino North Shopping Center among others (Varela, 2020). Recently, the region has began to adopt to green energy. This was shown by the numerous solar panels installed on quite a significant number of buildings. Generally, both residential and commercial houses in the region are in good condition.
Open Space
Primarily, Oceanside is a mixture of rural, suburban, and urban. Some parts of the region such as Morro Hills have refreshing and extensive green fields and trees, and nicely built homes that flashes as one drives along State Route 76. On the north of Oceanside City is Morro Hills which extends to San Luis Rey River. The region is the prime agricultural land for Oceanside. According to John (2018) there is only a small percentage of open space that has been left for agricultural purposes. This is as a result of small agritourism businesses that are beginning to sprout in the region. Open space in Oceanside are both public and privately owned. Parks and beaches for instance are the property of San Diego County. However, most of the farms are privately owned. Farming is a lifestyle for the people of Oceanside. As one drives through, there are plantations pf avocado, coffee, and wine berries among others.
Commons
The Townsite neighborhood of Oceanside is the heart of the city as it has popular tourist attractions, sandy beaches and oceanfront homes, for which the city is well known. One of the most popular hangouts in Oceanside is The Beach Break Café. (Varela, 2020) Most of the residents consider the hangout the best place to grab breakfast. Typically, both tourists and local residents gather here in the morning hours. The common hang outs do not specifically have a territorial sense. Instead, they are open for everyone particularly due to the high number of local and international tourists at Oceanside. Besides the popular restaurants, there are also other common places such as the Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside Harbor, and Oceanside Pier among others. It is not uncommon to find people in these places, most of whom are tourists.
Transport
Another notable feature of Oceanside is the means and mode of transport. One can get to Oceanside through train, road, and by plane. The road transport is the most common. Furthermore, there are major highways from such as Interstate 5, Highway 101, California State highways CA-76 and CA-78 ("Oceanside Transportation - Visit Oceanside", 2020). The highways serve both the locals and non-residents of Oceanside. The availability of public transport is very frequent because apart from roads, there are also train stations that serve the locals within and out of California. These include, the Coaster, Sprinter, and North County Transit District. The rail transport serves people in and out of the city to Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, and Riverside. One issue about transportation that stood out is that Oceanside takes care of its elderly population. There is the Go Oceanside program at the heart of the city that helps residents of Oceanside aged 65years and above to move around for groceries, daily outings, for doctors’ appointments, and to get medical supplies (Palmer, 2020). Bike riding and walking on the beaches is also common.
Services and Social Centers
Notably, there are numerous recreation centers facilitated by the warm weather and Oceanside beaches. The community also has social agencies concerned with the welfare of the community. The most common is North County Community Service (Oceanside, 2020). Oceanside is also a vibrant city. However, with the recent travel ban and lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic, the city mostly is not as alive as it used to be. Mostly, there are cars that have been parked in the home yards. Also, there are various people tending to their compounds. The street vendors for local food are no longer functional. Generally, Oceanside currently appears calm. There also numerous schools at Oceanside, At the moment however, all the schools and higher institutions of learning are closed. During the day people can be seen occasionally walking to the beaches, surfing, fishing, and swimming. However, /sunbaths and group meetings are at the moment not allowed.
Race Composition
The ethnic composition of the population of Oceanside is a mixture of Caucasian, Hispanic, African-Americans and other groups. Based on a recent survey the highest population is of Caucasian ethnicity which stands at 48%, followed by Hispanic and Latinos at 35.1%, Asians at 7.16% and African-Americans at 4.88% ( Oceanside, Demographics, 2020). Natives are quite a few. Regardless of ethnicity diversity, there are indicators of ethnicity in the region. To begin with, there are food stores that mainly serve the neighborhoods where whites are densely populated. Also, there is racial divide in that Blacks and Hispanics are less selected for Advanced Programs than their white counterparts in the Oceanside. Also, there are certain private schools that are entirely for white students.
Religion
Besides diverse ethnic groups, Oceanside is also characterized by a religious population. Most of the residents are Christians which is evidenced by the various churches built in the community, though of varying denominations. There also Judaists, Muslims, and Hindus. The other religions have built their various places of worship such as temples and Mosques. Currently, the places of worship have been closed indefinitely following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health
Notably, Oceanside has modern health facilities. The community also has quite a significant number of chronic health conditions. This mainly stems from the high population of elderly residents. Also, there is a high number of OceanGo vehicles that transport the elderly to hospitals for appointments. Another issue quite critical in the region is substance and alcohol abuse. This is evidenced by the number of syringes used and disposed on the beach sides of the ocean ("Oceanside, CA | Drug & Alcohol Rehab Centers & Treatment Programs", 2020). Also considering the region is a significant tourist attraction, there has been cases of mental illnesses. Quite a significant number of people in the Oceanside are homeless. This is due to the high costs of housing and living in California. The homeless people spend in streets and are often involved in alcohol and drug abuse. Others also have mental problems stemming from homelessness, joblessness, and the high costs of living in the community. Another health problem in the region is the high rates of pregnancy for young girls. The rationale behind this problem is the ongoing tourist activity in the community.
In conclusion, the windshield survey for Oceanside California is critical for assessing the economic, social, and physical nature of the community. During the survey, I came across all the contexts described in the paper. The community is also inclined to the Republican Party due to its white population. Furthermore, I came across billboards in major streets that showcase the region supports the Republican party. Despite the health concerns, Oceanside is a great community to live in.
References
John, A. (2018). Oceanside's Open Space Initiative Would Give Voters Say Over Development. Retrieved 5 June 2020, from https://www.kpbs.org/news/2018/oct/29/soar-initiative-oceanside-pits-small-farmers-again/
Oceanside, CA | Drug & Alcohol Rehab Centers & Treatment Programs. (2020). Retrieved 5 June 2020, from https://drugabuse.com/usa/drug-abuse/oceanside-ca/
Oceanside, C. (2020). Oceanside CA Housing data. Retrieved from https://www.towncharts.com/California/Housing/Oceanside-city-CA-Housing-data.html
Oceanside, Demographics (2020). Retrieved 5 June 2020, from https://statisticalatlas.com/place/California/Oceanside/Race-and-Ethnicity
Oceanside Transportation - Visit Oceanside. (2020). Retrieved 5 June 2020, fro https://visitoceanside.org/oceanside-transportation/
Palmer, C. (2020). City of Oceanside, California - Transportation Services. Retrieved from https://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/gov/ns/parks/senior/transit.asp
Varela, D. (2020). Oceanside Neighborhood Guide: Townsite | YNC. Retrieved from https://yournorthcounty.com/oceanside-neighborhood-guide-townsite/
