Community Health Nursing Project

NUR 4636: Community Health Nursing Community Needs Assessment Guide

Assignment: You will conduct a community needs assessment by choosing a specified population or community. Grades will be based on the guidelines listed. Papers submitted must be typed using APA format. A PowerPoint presentation of community needs assessment needs to be submitted through the drop box.

Community_____________________ Date______________

I) Overview A) Description of the Community

i) History ii) Type of community: urban, suburban, rural

II) Physical Environmental Considerations: The Community As a Place

A) Description: general identifying data

i) Location ii) Topographical features iii) Climate

B) Boundaries, area in square miles

C) Environment

i) Sanitation: water supply, sewage, garbage, trash ii) Pollutants, toxic substances, animal reservoirs or vectors, flora and fauna iii) Air quality: color, odor, particulates iv) Food supply: sources, preparation v) Potential disaster in the population vi) Extent of disaster preparation in the population

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D) Housing i) Types of housing (public and private) ii) Condition of housing iii) Percent owned, rented iv) Housing for special populations

(a) Near homeless (b) Homeless (c) Frail elders

E) Leading industries and occupations

III) The People of the Community

A) Population profile

i) Total population for _________(year of last census) ii) Population density iii) Population changes in past 10 years iv) Population per square miles v) Mobility vi) Types of Families

B) Biological Considerations/Vital and demographic population characteristics

i) Age composition ii) Sex distribution iii) Race distribution iv) Ethnic group composition and distribution v) Mortality Characteristics

(a) Annual Birth and crude death rates (b) Age-specific death rate (c) Infant mortality rate (d) Maternal mortality rate

vi) Cause-specific death rate (specific health area) vii) Leading causes of morbidity

(a) Incidence rates (specific diseases) (b) Prevalence rates (specific diseases)

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C) Psychological Considerations i) Significant historical events ii) Future economic prospects iii) Formal and Informal Communication Network iv) Rates of Suicide and Homicides for specific subgroups within the population v) Adequacy of protective services vi) Common sources of Stress (e.g. unemployment , lack of affordable housing)

D) Sociocultural Considerations: The Community As a Social System

i) Socioeconomic status (a) Income of family (b) Major occupations (c) Estimated level of unemployment (d) Percent below poverty level (e) People retired

ii) Educational level (a) Religious distribution (b) Marriage and divorce rates (c) Language

E) Government and Leadership

i) Type of government (mayor, city manager, board of commissioners) ii) City offices (location, hours, services, access)

F) Education

i) Public educational facilities ii) Private educational facilities iii) Libraries iv) Services for special populations

(a) Pregnant teens (b) Adults with special problems (c) Children and adults who are developmentally disabled (d) Children and adults who are blind and/or deaf

G) Transportation

H) Behavioral Considerations

i) Consumption patterns (general nutritional level of the population) ii) Leisure pursuit iii) Other health-related behaviors (e.g. frequency of seat belt use)

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I) Health System Considerations

i) Identify existing services ii) Assessing current level of performance iii) Availability and accessibility of specific types of health care services iv) Health needs lacking services v) Extent to which health care services are overused and underused vi) Financing of health care