Community Health and Primary Healthcare Services Essay.

Community health nursing refers to application of nursing practice and public health or community health practice with an aim of promoting and preserving the health of populations.Community Health and Primary Healthcare Services Essay. The practice involves general and comprehensive services. It does not have limits to particular groups or diagnosis and maintains continuous service delivery (American Nurses Association, 1980). Currently, many changes in the delivery of healthcare services have occurred including healthcare financing, health policies, healthcare focus and methods of delivering health services. This aims at maintaining healthier communities through prevention of health problems. Community health nurses need to assess the community to identify health needs and come up with appropriate community diagnosis which guides interventions. The discussions below involve the assessment and formulation of community diagnoses for Fairfax community.Community Health and Primary Healthcare Services Essay.

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Description of Community (Community Assessment)

The community is found in Fairfax County at the state of Virginia. It has a population of about 1.01 million people. This community owns a lot of assets, which makes it rich. It consists of several races and ethnic groups. The people have a good education. The community has high per capita income and abundant community resources such as social, intellectual and cultural ones. However, there is uneven distribution of resources among the residents of the community. Some segments of the community have low socioeconomic status, poor health status, lack of insurance coverage, unemployment and differences in life expectancy.Community Health and Primary Healthcare Services Essay.

Demography

The Fairfax community has the highest population in the state of Virginia. Its population has increased by about eleven percent, and it is expected to grow steadily over the next few decades. Most of the people in the community are growing old. The total population is increasing, and growth occurs across all the age groups. The community comprises of diverse racial and ethnic groups. Fairfax County forms the major employment market in the state. It has low employment rates as compared to the rates for the whole state. It has high educational attainment with more than half of the population having graduate degrees. Approximately 58,000 people in the county live in poverty, and 3.5 % of families live in poverty. The percentage of residents having health insurance cover is slightly higher than for the nation. Although the county has a lot of wealth, more than one out of ten residents lacks health insurance cover. The residents of the county have higher quality of live. The county records low crime rates. It also has high quality and well-distributed recreational, cultural and educational facilities.Community Health and Primary Healthcare Services Essay.

Healthcare Resources

The county has well-distributed safety net resources, technologically advanced hospitals and ambulatory care centers. Despite this, it has few primary healthcare services and faces a growing demand of the same. The hospitals recorded decreased percentages in terms of discharges, and hospital stays attributed to advanced technology and even distribution. The residents of the community can access health services provided by both private and public institutions at no or reduced cost. The local government funds three health centers to provide primary health services together with ten charity organizations. The community has long-term care facilities that provide services to the retired people and other adults. The healthcare workforce in the county is reducing due to aging and retirement of the staff. The new workforce entering the primary healthcare is inadequate to replace those retiring. The number of nurses in the state is projected to be reduced by 2015.Community Health and Primary Healthcare Services Essay.

Environmental Health

The quality of air in the Fairfax County is rated as the poorest in the Virginia state. The water quality is low as most of the marine and freshwater for recreation does not meet the water quality regulations and guidelines. Risk of lead exposure to children is low with less than one percent of children under the age of three months were found to have elevated blood lead levels. Lyme disease cases have increased by 13% in the last decade. The incidence is highest during early summer months. In the year 2000, 19 cases were reported, and in 2009, 260 cases were reported.Community Health and Primary Healthcare Services Essay.