families and the community
Community Resources Available for the Emerging Family
Nurses must be able to knowledgeably plan services for individuals, families and the community. In order to effectively plan, it is essential that you are aware of the resources specific to the community a client resides in to allow for identification of health-related resources and to understand gaps in services. This analysis is a component of a Physical Assessment subsystem. It is a scientific method commonly utilized to gather data within communities. You must travel through an identified community to gather data that you can SEE, that you can HEAR, that you can SMELL, and that you can possibly TOUCH. You should imagine that you are a maternity home health nurse assigned to complete an assessment in a community that you know nothing about, and will be visiting for the first time.
You must NOT include your current perspective or beliefs about what you feel about the community or its strengths and weaknesses if you are already a person living within the community. Conditions and trends in the community that could affect the health of the pregnant women or her newborn baby should be noted. Resources may include available obstetrical and gynecological offices, pediatric offices, nurse mid-wife practices, any the health departments, WIC, or other supportive programs/resources for young families within the community. This data provides background and context for working with individuals and families in their community. Information gathered should be added to this template and then developed into a report. Please print and turned the completed report to be presented during post-conference at your clinical site. If data is collected (statistical, informational, geographic), then a reference page using APA format (6th edition) is expected.
You will want to photograph key points of interest or concern in the community. You must take photos to provide a visual overview of various community resources available to pregnant women. Please include the group members in some of the photographs to verify who is present while completing the assessment. Do NOT include any photographs of people in the community due to privacy issues as it relates to not obtaining written consent to photograph. As you drive around the community, stay safe. If there are areas of the community that you do not feel safe driving through, then don’t do it. Your sense of danger is assessment information unto itself, and should be included in the assessment section called “Further Information of Interest”. Remember that besides what you see, hear, smell, and tough, you can also talk with community members that you meet while conducting the assessment.
An assigned group of students will work together to complete this assessment. Preparation for the assessment should take about 4 hours. The group will need to research and familiarize yourselves with published resources about the community as it pertains to prenatal care, healthcare delivery systems, and resources for young families. Next the group should spend about 4 hours driving throughout the community to visualize, photograph, and experience the resource firsthand. Last, it should take the group about 4 hours to organize a summary report reflecting on the quality and availability of community resources available to pregnant women and their emerging family. Please include in the report items that you found lacking in the community. The report does not have to be completed in one day. If it is more convenient for the group, it can be broken down into 3 different time periods.
Boundaries
Are the boundaries geographical, political, or economic?
Do neighborhoods have names?
Are there sub-communities?
How are these identified?
Notes (to make notes about the questions on the left)
Housing and Zoning
What is the age of the buildings? Are the residences single family or multifamily dwellings?
Signs of Decay
Is the area well maintained or in disrepair? Is there garbage strewn? Are there trashed/abandoned cars, places for rodents or other wildlife to hide, vacant lots?
Parks and Recreational Areas
Are there play areas for children? Are they safe and maintained?
Common Areas
Where do families collect for social gatherings; where do they “hang out”? Are they for particular groups or are they open to all? Are there signs posted?
OB/GYN Offices, Nurse Mid-Wife Practices or Health Department Agencies
