Syllabus

Week 1: 

Orientation to Course

Health: A Community View

August 23 - Class 
August 26 - Practice 
(On campus BHG 105 & Practice site)

1. Compare and contrast definitions of health as used in public health nursing.
2. Define and discuss the focus of public health.
3. List and discuss the levels of prevention.
4. Discuss historical events that have had an impact on Community Health.
5. Describe the goals for health care in the future. 
6. Differentiate between upstream interventions and downstream intervention regarding health.

• Orientation 
• Faculty 
• Syllabus (Bring With) 
• Textbooks (Bring With) 
• Project Options 
• Practice Experiences 

August 26 8:30-3:30
On campus BHG 105
 

Topics:
8:30-9:45 
Health: A Community View

• Definitions of health 
• Definition and focus of Public Health and Community Health 
• Population based versus aggregate based care 
• Definition & focus of Public & Community Health Nursing 
• Preventionistic approach to health 

10:30-11:00 
Historical Factors: Community Health Nursing in Context

• Challenges for Community Health Nursing 

11:00-12:30 
Thinking Upstream

• Microscopic vs macroscopic approach 
• Models for public health planning 
• Looking beyond the individual 
• Conceptualizing health from a population perspective 
• Issues of Fit: Upstream and Downstream Approaches 

 

Discussion Point: 
How well does DON definition of health fit with own definition of health? of a client's? of a relatives? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Swanson & Nies, Chapter 2 & 3 

Swanson & Nies, Chapter 4 

Discussion Point: Each student is to come with (1) highlight of historical significance in public health that you would like to bring to the attention of the class. 

Discussion Point:
Identify one health problem in your community/neighbor-hood. Formulate coventions using microscopic/ macroscopic & upstream/ downstream approaches. 
How did each approach affect way you framed the problem & solutions?

Week 2: 

Community Assessment 

August 31: Class 

September 2: Practice

1. Discuss the major dimensions of a community. 
2. Identify the major sources of information about a community's health. 
3. Identify the advantages of comprehensive health planning and evaluation. 
4. Compare community health nurse and public health nurse role in health covening, planning and evaluation.
5. Define community organization, community development, social planning, and social action.
6. Describe strategies for conducting a community assessment.

• Define community 
• Community Assessment 
• Sources of data 
• Nature of community 
• Community Assets Map 
• Neighborhood Needs Map 

Plan Community assessment 

Plan home visits and family assessment

Standhope, M. & Knollmueller, R. Community Assessment Pages 81-104 (Tool) 

Wills, E.M. (1996) Nurse-client alliance: A pattern of home health caring. 

Link to Ovid
Search for author & title 

Community Assessment

Discussion Point: 
For the community health problem identified in Week 1, plan approaches to its solution from social planning, social action, and community development POV; which approach was best?  Why? 

Discussion Point: 
As you read about assessing a community, how will you and your team go about organizing your work to accomplish this important task? 
What is the most important reason for completing a community assessment? 

Week 3: 

Family Health Risk and Assessment

September 7: Class

September 9: Practice

1. State a personal definition of "family".
2. Identify characteristics of the changing family that have implications for community health nursing practice. 
3. Describe strategies for moving from assessment and intervention at the individual level to assessment and intervention at the family level. 
4. Describe strategies for moving from intervention at the family level to intervention at the aggregate level. 
5. Discuss the purpose of the home visit
6. Differentiate between the purpose of a public health nursing visit and that of home health and  hospice nursing visit. 
7. Define home health care.
8. Identify the types of home health agencies.
9. Discuss the process used in contracting with patients and their families achieve health care goals.

• The changing family 
• Approaches to meeting the health needs of families 
• Extending family health intervention to larger aggregates and social action 
• Family Assessment

• Purpose of home health services 
• Types of home health agencies 
• Educational preparation and nursing standards 
• Documentation of Home Care 
• Family and caregiver in home 
• Contracting for care 

Practice:  8:30-4:00
Ft. Myers, Estero, Collier County

Swanson & Nies, Chapter 13 
Stanhope and Knollmueller 
    Family Assessment 
    Pages 181-210 & 
                 240-241 
Discussion Point:
Compare nursing competencies for working with individuals,  families, and aggragates. 
 

Text, Chapter 28 
Standards of Home Health Nursing practice Pg. 858 

http://www.hcfa.gov/
medicare/hmhealth.htm

Duffy, B et.al. (1996) 
What to do about Harry? 

Harris, M. D. (1996) Evaluating quality of home care services: Using patient outcome data 

Discussion Point:
List differences between public health, community health, and home health nursing(es): referral process, responsibilities, clients, focus, work place, supervisor, education. 

Week 4: 

Case Focus: Teen pregnancy

September 14: Class 

1. Identify major indicators of child and adolescent health status.
2. Describe how socioeconomic circumstances influence child and adolescent health.
3. Discuss public programs targeted to children's health.
4. Discuss approaches that could be used in working with the adolescent client.
5. Identify trends in adolescent pregnancy.
6. Identify public health nursing activities that may contribute to prevention of adolescent pregnancy.

• Indicators of child and adolescent health status 
• Social factors affecting children's health 
• Costs to society of poor health among children 
• Public health programs targeted to children 
• Strategies to improve children's health

• Trends in adolescent sexual behavior and pregnancy 
• Background factors in teen pregnancy 
• Young men and paternity 
• Early identification of the pregnant teen 
• Special issues in caring for the pregnant teen 

Practice:  8:30-4:00
Ft. Myers, Estero, Collier County
 
 
 
 

Two to three (2-3) students will present the discussion on this topic. (30 minutes)  This web site is filled with information. 
 

Practice:  8:30-4:00
Ft. Myers, Estero, Collier County

Link to Ovid and look for articles related to topic 

 http://www.healthfinder.gov 

Ryan, C. et al. (1998) Helping our hidden youth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/hsp/
teenp/intro.htm

Discussion Point: In your community partnered care practice, what have been your experiences with issues related to teen pregnancy?  What is your student role in helping teen parents?  What are your most important skills for success with this population? 

Week 5: 

Women, Men, and Seniors

September 21: Class 

September 23:  Practice

1. Discuss the incidence and prevalence of gender specific health problems.
2. Determine the major indicators of women's health, men's health, and senior's health.
3. Relate the impact of poverty on the health of women.
4. Discuss factor that impede men's health and those which promote health.
5. Describe men's heath needs.
6. Describe problems associated with aging.
7. Discuss major causes of morbidity and mortality.
8. Plan strategies that would help meet the needs of each gender specific group.

• Women's health problems 
• Legislation affecting women's health service 
• Social services to promote the health of women 
• Roles of the public health nurse 
• Research in women's health 

Men's health

• Men's health status 
• Factors that impede men's health 
• Factors which promote men's health 
• Men's health care needs 
• Role of community health nurse 
• Research and men's health 

• Major indicators of  the health of elderly 
• Problems of the elderly 
• Support for the elderly 
• New concepts of community care 
• Allocation of resources for senior health 
• Research on the health of the elderly 
• Roles of the community health nurse 

• Indicators of women's health 
• Major health problems and causes of mortality? 
• Impact of poverty 
• How do we compare with the state and nationally? 
• Local Resources 
• Research on women's health 

(2) students (30 minutes) will discuss the following issues related to men's health: 

• Discuss gender specific health problems 
• Factors that impede men's health and those that promote men's health 

• Describe men's health needs 
• What are the major health problems and causes of mortality? 
• How do we compare with the state and nationally 
• Local Resources 
• Research on men's health 

Two (2) students will discuss issues related to seniors' health (30 minutes): 

• Gender specific health issues 
• Describe the problems associated with aging 
• Factors that promote senior health 
• Support services available 
• What are the major health problems and causes of mortality? 
• How do we compare with the state and nationally 

Internet to obtain data on 
health issues. 

http://www.healthfinder.gov
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Text, Chapter  12 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Text, Chapter 14 

Broussard, M. C. (1996). Medication Problems in the Elderly 

DeBrew, J. K. (1998) Assessing medication knowledge and practices of older adults 

After reading the above text chapters, create a table comparing the health problems of men, women, and seniors.  Where is the longest list? 
Answer the questions in #8 Text, page 384.

Week 6: 

Epidemiology in Public and Community Health 

September 28: Class 

1. Discuss epidemiology and its role in public and community health. 
2. Discuss routes for transmission of communicable disease.
3. Explain the difference among prevention, control, elimination, and eradication of communicable diseases. 
4. List communicable diseases currently causing high morbidity in the US, and identify their epidemiological indicators, including racial-ethnic disparity. 
5. Use epidemiological methods to describe the state of health of a community or aggregate.

• Definition of epidemiology 
• Role in public and community health 
• Transmission of communicable disease (CD) 
• Compare prevention, control, elimination, and eradication of CD 
• CDs with high morbidity in US, indicators 
• Using epidemiology to describe health of community or aggregate 

Discuss information about epidemiology  uncovered in the CDC web site 
 

Practice : 8:30-4:00
Ft. Myers, Estero, Collier County

Stanhope & Knollmueller 
Pages 624-631 
 

CDC
 

Discussion Point: 
Review the Case Study about Jabril (pp. 695-700); Is this a realistic problem?  Is this a realistic solution? How difficult difficult would it be to implement this plan in local schools? Is this role interesting to you? What knowledge and skills do CHN need to be effective? 

Week 7: 

Building Community Partnerships

October 5: Class 

1. Describe the characteristics of successful partnerships.
2. Argue why the notion of building partnerships is important to present and future nursing practice.
3. Explore ways to build partnerships.
4. Identify outcomes for academic partners: students and faculty.
5. Identify outcomes for community partners: Michigan Court/Links Neighborhood.
6. Identify assets of academic and community partners.
7. Outline a strategy with timeline for building community partnerships with Michigan Court/Links Neighborhood.
8. Identify benchmarks for outcome criteria to assess success of partnerships.

• Beliefs underpinning partnerships
• Importance & impact of partnerships within health care
• Clarifying and orienting terms
• Roles and relationships within partnerships 
• Defining characteristics of successful partnerships
• Community based-community centred health care model
• Goals of community based BSN education

8:30 - 4: 00 

Ft. Meyers, Estero, Collier County

Chapter 7 
 

Courtney, R. (1995) Community partnership primary care: a new paradigm for primary care. Public Health Nurse, 12:366-373. 

Courtney, R.; Ballard, F.; Fawer, S.; et al.  (1996) The partnership model: Working with individuals, families and communities toward a new vision of health.  Public Health Nurse, 13:177-186

Week 8: 

Homelessness and Poverty

October 12:  Class 

1. Discuss the prevalence of homelessness.
2. Analyze factors that contribute to homelessness. 
3. Identify major health problems found among the homeless.
4. Analyze the health problems of the homeless using upstream thinking and a social justice perspective.
5. Analyze the concept of poverty.
6. Discuss client's perceptions about poverty and health.
7. Discuss the effects of poverty on the health and well being of individuals, families, & communities.

• Definitions and prevalence of homelessness 
• Factors that contribute to homelessness 
• Health status of the homeless 
• Access to health care for the homeless: Five factors 
• Research and the homeless 

• Understanding the concept of of poverty 
• Perceptions about poverty 
• Social, political, cultural, and environmental factors 
• Poverty and health: impact across the life span 

The community and poverty

Use the Internet to determine current issues related to homelessness and major health problems 
 
 
 
 
 

Practice:  8:30-4:00
Ft. Myers, Estero, Collier County

http://www.healthfinder.gov
 

http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/
progsys/homeless/index.htm
 

http://www.census.gov/

http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/poverty/
poverty.htm
http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/hsp/
hspres.htm#poverty 
http://www.census.gov/hhes.www/povmeas.html 

Dalaker, J., & Naifeh, N. (1997). Poverty in the United states: 1997

Discussion Points: 
What is the relationship between poverty and homelessness? 
Who are the homeless? 
Devise one upstream covention to make health care accessible to poor and homeless.

 Week 9: 

Politics, Policy, & Legislation Influencing Public Health & Community Health Nursing

October 19:  Class 

1. Describe the role nurses have played in influencing the public's health through policy development.
2. Analyze public policy as the critical basis for protecting the public's health. 
3. Identify the political processes that influence health policy development.
4. Discuss political activities through which nurses can affect the health policies of their community and country.

• Nurses who make a difference 
• Nurses: Agents of change 
• Health care reform 
• Balance of powers 
• Legislative process: Politics in Action 
• Nurse as a lobbyist 
• Political process 
• Political action 
• Nursing and the health of the nation 

Practice: 8:30-4:00
Ft. Myers, Estero, Collier County

http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/health/
hphome.htm

http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/hsp/
cyphome.htm

Discussion Point: 
Identify one current political issue effecting Public Health Nursing in Florida 
How important is political savy in your nursing practice? 
 

Week 10: School Health

October 26: Class 

1. Discuss the components of school health in relation to roles and responsibilities of team. 
2. Recognized the potential social, cultural, economic, and political factors affecting school health. 
3. Relate community and statistical indicators of school health status to academic outcomes.
4. Design a political action agenda by analyzing legislation affecting school health. 
5. Contrast roles and functions of school nurses and community health nurses.
6. Formulate critical questions about school health programs that limit academic performance and well-being of school health populations.

Practice:  8:30-4:00
Ft. Myers, Estero, Collier County

http://www.healthfinder.gov

http:/www.schoolnurse.com

Discussion Point: 
Using the Case Study on pp. 725-729: 
Formulate at least 3 questions you would ask Judy and her mother  in assessing, analyzing, planning, covening, and evaluating her care 
 

Novermber 2: Class 

1. Describe broad areas of environmental health about which community health nurses must be informed.
2. Recognize  potential social, cultural, economic, & political factors affecting environmental health.
3. Identify aggregates at risk for particular environmental health problems 
4. Distinguish between environmental health approaches that focus on altering individual behaviors and those that aim tochange health damaging environments.
5. Distinguish between environmental health approaches that focus on altering individual behaviors and those that aim tochange health damaging environments.
6. Identify skills and competencies of OHN
7. Discuss  emerging  demographic trends  that influence OHN. 

Identify skills and competencies of OHN.
8. Discuss the impact of state and federal regulations on occupational health. 

• Areas of environmental health 
• Effects of environmental hazards 
• Efforts to control environmental health problems 
• Approaching environmental health at the aggregate level 
• Skills and competencies of OHN. 
• Levels of prevention in OHN 
• Impact of legislation on Occupational Health 
• Professional liability 
• Multidisciplinary team work 

Identify at least 2 environmental health problems that affect the health of aggregates. 
Are there differences betwee rural and urban  sites? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Narayan, Mary. C. & Tennant. J. (1997). Environment Assessment 
Chapter 27 

We will meet for the clinical day in Clewiston for class and a tour of US Sugar 

Identify at least 2 environmental issues that you believe that is effective the health of specific aggregates. What are the health problems? 
 
 

Week 12: 

Tuberculosis

November 9: Class 

November 11: Practice

1. Discuss epidemiology of tuberculosis.
2. Differentiate between  tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease.
3. Formulate critical questions regarding the care of non-compliant clients with tuberculosis.
4. Discuss the treatment of active tuberculosis.
5. Discuss multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.

• Transmission & pathogenesis 
• Diagnosis of Tbc infection and Tbc disease 
• Multi drug resistant 
• monitoring patients on therapy 
• Infection control 
• Compliance 
• Skin testing 

http://www.healthfinder.gov/
 

Nist, A (1999) TB update
 

Week 13: 

Sexually Transmitted Diseases 

November 16:  Class 

1. Describe the clinical signs of the major sexually transmitted diseases (STD). 
2. Identify the trends in incidence of the major STD's and groups that are at greater risk.
3. Identify behaviors that place people at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
4. Describe community health nursing activities to prevent and control sexually transmitted diseases.
5. Explain the various roles of community health nurses in providing care for those with chronic STD's

• HIV 
• Gonorrhea 
• Syphilis 
• Chlamydia 
• Chancroid 
• Hepatitis B virus 
• Herpes Simplex virus 2 
• Human papillomavirus 

Go to the web and find some current statistics on STD's, Nationally, State, and Local 

Hale, P. HIV, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
 

http://www.cdc.gov

http://www.healthfinder.gov/
 

http://www.niaid.nih.
gov/factsheets/stdinfo.htm

Week 14: 

Community Disaster  Management

1. Discuss types of disasters, including natural, man-made, and epidemics.
2. Describe how disasters affect people and their communities.
3. Discuss disaster management, including preparedness, response and recovery.
4. Discuss the community health nurses' role in the preparedness, response, and recovery phases of disaster management.
5. Describe the priorities in a triage situation.
6. Describe the steps for initiating and maintaining a clinic to care for the masses.
7. Describe the role of the American Red Cross in disaster management

• Defining disasters 
• Three stages of disaster involvement 

1. Identify forces that threaten life and health worldwide.
2. Compare and contrast Cuba's and Canada's approaches to the delivery of primary health care. 
3. Discuss how being a member of an aggregate influences health.
4. Predict community health issues of the future based on shared characteristics of aggregates.
5. Describe actions needed by community health nurses to ensure future trends and changes in the health care system that will benefit the consumer of health care.

• World Health 
• Population Growth 
• Environmental Stressor 
• Models of Primary Care:  Cuba and Canada 
• Community Health Nursing: Making a Difference 
• Socioeconomic status 
• Sex, Age, race & ethnicity 
• Geography-politics 
• The Future of Public Health 
• Determinants of health 
• Health as a Right 
• Educational Implications 

• Practice : 9:00-12:00 

Students will present their  community projects.  We will be on campus BHG 105