DQ-M7-Reply

Please reply to– Ashley O. Please note minimum of 200 words. No APA or sources citation needed.

From the CDC list of commonly used community assessment models, I chose to use the Community Health Assessment and Group Evaluation (CHANGE) tool.  According to the CDC (2010), the CHANGE tool can transform communities into those that support healthy living.  It can help communities to assess potential approaches that show strong evidence of effectiveness and that are innovative.  For example, implementing no indoor smoking as well as no outdoor smoking.  I know the county where my husband and I live is tobacco free indoor and outdoor at all eating and drinking establishments.  Also, in our county, in 2008, they banned all restaurants from serving any foods that contain trans fats (Hydro, 2007).
A community health assessment helps to realize needs and resources that a community requires to utilize its resources.  The health assessment also considers the community’s underlying culture and social structure.  According to Health Outreach Partners (2012), some agencies that can be used when doing a community health assessment are the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, state or local health departments, local school districts, and local community health centers.
The CHANGE assessment starts out with commitment which includes putting a team of community members together.  The second is assessment which involves gathering data and input on what the community needs.  Next is planning which means that you have your data and the next step is to take action to develop the community action plan for change.  Next is implementation which is where you execute the plan you have developed.  This needs to be done with the community team, stakeholders and partners involved in your health assessment.  The last step is evaluation.  This is where you evaluate the change that has taken place.  It helps you to know if you are implementing the right strategies and gives you information about what can be done in the future (CDC, 2010).
The role of the public health nurse in a community health assessment is to take a leadership role in the steps of the assessment, to make a team and assess the community through speaking to members of the community, sending out surveys, or having team members do an actual survey of the community themselves by observing the community and its members.  For example, with CHANGE assessment, the community health nurse will take initiative in putting a team together, planning with the team on how to gather data from the community, etc.  The nurse will have a direct role in each step of the process.
In this role, the nurse will very much use his/her leadership skills.  Assessing a community for any deficits that need to be investigated or any needs that must be considered make the nurse’s job incredibly important.  As a community/population health nurse you have the ability to make an entire community safer, more comfortable, and a better place to live.

Please reply to– Lauren Mo. Please note minimum of 200 words. No APA or sources citation needed.

A community health assessment is the process of identifying the major health needs and issues in a specific geographic area such as county, city, or tribal area. This is completed through systematic, extensive data collection and analysis. A community health assessment helps keeps organizations informed on the status of a community’s health and any problems or needs it may have. Community health assessments help form community health plans to improve the health and well-being of the population. There are different models that can be used for assessing a community. However, most community assessments consist of common elements that include organizing and planning, engaging the community, conducting actual health assessment, prioritizing health issues, developing and implementing a plan, and evaluation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) is a specific model or framework used to perform community assessments. It is beneficial to use a specific model because it helps narrow down the focus of an assessment. Certain frameworks are broader than others whereas others focus on a specific issue. Some models are fairly simple whereas other models are more complex than others. It is best to narrow it down to one specific model that is tailored to the purpose of completing the community assessment and other factors such as time constraints or organizations involved.
The vision of MAPP is communities achieving improved health and quality of life by mobilizing partnerships and taking strategic action (Institute of Medicine, 2022). MAPP includes four assessments: assessing community themes and strengths, assessing the local public health system, assessing the health status of the community, and assessing forces of change. Agencies involved with MAPP include National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other agencies that should be included with the assessment are local and state public health officials (health department, department of public works), health practitioners and administrators, human service organizations, community organizations (ex: chamber of commerce, YMCA), local and state elected officials, public schools/ local colleges, businesses, faith communities, and community members (Mobilizing for Action Through Planning and Partnerships, n.d.). A reasonable time frame for completing a community wide assessment WITH a community health improvement plan is several months.
The public health nurse’s role in the implementation of the model includes assessing the public health system of the community including what the system is lacking and what it is succeeding in. The public health nurse takes part in performing the assessment and gather data as well as use different methods to generate data. The public health nurse will help educate the community about health concerns and educate them about the community health improvement plan. The nurse will educate the community about risk factors and making healthy choices. The nurses will of course deliver care and will help evaluate the success of the health improvement plan.