Running head: WINDSHIELD SURVEY

Windshield Survey
Jason Conk
Ferris State University

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WINDSHIELD SURVEY

Windshield Survey
A windshield survey is a synopsis of a community as seen through the windshield of a
vehicle while driving through any given community. The purpose of this paper is to take a
windshield survey of the community in which I live, Weidman, Michigan furthermore this
survey will be done through a nursing perspective to identify key factors that contribute to the
health and safety of this community.
While there are several different definitions of community, Harkness and Demarco
(2012) define it as A group of people sharing common interests, needs, resources, and
environment; an interrelating and interacting group of people with shared needs and interests
(p. 175). Community to me; is all of the members of any given area along with the services,
programs , businesses, and establishments that are contained in it. Community health to me; is
the overall health status of a given community and the risk factors that contribute to death and
morbidity. From a nursing perspective there are much broader and far reaching factors that
contribute to the health of a community than to an individual and some factors may not be
applicable to everybody. For example, Sexually Transmitted Diseases may be very prevalent in
a given community but this would not be a very big concern for an elderly person which has
been in a monogamous relationship for the past 50 years. Gauging the health of an entire
community can be a very daunting task for nurses, Baisch(2009) state community nursing is
reported by practitioners as being difficult and challenging and potentially as dislocating and
confronting to the experienced nurse as it is to the newly graduated nurse (p. 2669).

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The community of Weidman, Michigan is a very small rural town with only basic services
and 20 miles from the nearest city. From the windshield survey the factors that appear to be of
the most concern are: Physical activity, Overweight and obesity, Tobacco use, and Substance
abuse. This survey noted that at least fifty percent of the observed population was overweight
or obese with almost no use of the abundant park and recreation services. Smoking and
alcohol consumption was also extremely prevalent. All of these problems also happen to be
leading topics for Healthy People 2020.
While all of the aforementioned topics are of great concern, the number of cigarette
smokers is probably of greatest concern. Smoking is widely noted as causing many types of
cancer, along with heart, lung, and cardiovascular disease. Since cancer and heart disease are
the two leading causes of death for Americans, smoking cessation should be of great concern
for a community nurse. This survey of Weidman noted many people smoking while in their
cars, sitting on their porches, and just walking down the street, even a bicycler smoking.
Smokers were noted as being young, old, male, and female. In a short visit to the local gas
station/ liquor store; 14 out of 22 customers purchased tobacco products! This is obviously a
huge problem for the residents of Weidman and should be addressed.
Smoking is one of the biggest areas of concern for Healthy People 2020 and for
Weidman in general. A community nurse in this community should focus a great deal of effort
on educating the public of the risk factors of smoking. While everyone knows smoking is
unhealthy, as it is stated on the side of a pack of cigarettes, I dont think most people realize all
of the consequences smoking can actually have. As noted in Healthy People 2020 (2013)

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Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States
(para. 8). A community nurse in Weidman could have the ability to make a huge impact on the
number of smokers by supplying the public with pertinent health information and support
programs and products. A healthier and smoke free community would undoubtedly be a much
happier and productive community for all of us Weidmanites to live in.

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Appendix A

Housing and Zoning

Most houses are at

Transportation

Population is

least 20 years old.

by far and large the

predominantly white.

Many are likely well

main choice of

Very few people of

over 50 years.

transportation.

other race.

Half are mobile/

modular homes.

Personal vehicle is

Race and Ethnicity

Very few bicyclist or

No stores or other

walkers.

services dedicated to

No highways or

any certain race or

of minor disrepair.

freeways in the

ethnic group.

Most homes have

vicinity.

Many homes in a state

decent size yards on

all sides.

Public
transportation bus is
available, but is on
very limited basis.

Roads are conducive

to travel and
traveling is easy.

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Open Space

Some large wooded

Service Centers

areas.

2 auto repair

Religion and Politics

3 churches:

centers.

Nazarene, Methodist,
and Baptist.

Some farm land.

Post Office

Most houses sit on

Bank

roughly - 1 acre of

Salon

outside of churches

land, majority with

Funeral home

are constantly

lawns.

Computer shop

displaying

Not much open space

Hardware store

information for

for public use, mostly

Insurance agency

services/ programs

private property.

Real Estate Agency

other than normal

Doctors office

weekly service.

VFW/ Eagles club-

regular community
events held

Elementary Schoolnot many activities

outside of school
hours.

3 parks, with
baseball fields,

Bulletin boards

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basketball court,
and horseshoe pitsnone of which are in
use very often.

Boundaries

Stores and Street People

Airline Road-North

Johnson Road-East

Drew Road-South

Grocery Store

Old State Road-West

Pizza shop

suspected to be

No real boundaries to

Restaurant

prevalent.

community.

Hardware Store

Outskirts of town

Boat Sales/ Service

become farm land.

Hunting/ Fishing

Health and Morbidity

liquor store

Industrial area on

Alcohol and tobacco

use is very prevalent.

Drug abuse is

Many overweight
and obese people.

Nurse-cars are

shop

commonly seen

Eastern edge of town.

Computer shop

frequenting residents

Johnson and Airline

Flower/ embroidery

homes.

roads are the main

24hr gas station/

shop

routes leading East

Furniture store

and West.

Majority of

Around main area of

businesses in close

Large elderly
population.

Small Doctors office

in town.

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town are signs on the

proximity on main

electric poles that say

street.

clinic is 20 miles

Neighborhood

away.

Weidman.

stores

Elderly people can

Nearest hospital or

Fire/ EMT station

right in town.

be seen frequently
visiting shops.

Mothers with young

children

Foot traffic in
general is typically
low

Cats and dogs are

very common in
yards

Commons

3 separate baseball

Signs of Decay

The area overall is

Media and Politics

Signs for local

parks. Basketball

stagnate. Not

elections are present

court and Horseshoe

necessarily on the

around community.

pits included.

way down or up.

Park on the lakeshore.

Many houses are in

Majority appear to
be democratic.

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slight disrepair.

School yard with

playground.

No political

Old cars are in may

headquarters in

yards

town.

Public Library

Bar

Restaurant

well maintained at

satellite antennas on

Ballparks are generally

many houses

or outside home.

empty unless being

kept clean, trash is

games.

not a common site

Parks are typically void

Library seems to have

Bar and restaurant are

All areas are open and

Cable TV is available
in town.

Local newspapers
along with Detroit

noted

Free Press available

Some abandoned

in stores.

Fair selection of
magazines available

All zoning is mixed

at grocery store.

usually fairly busy.

Many people have

Real estate signs are

houses/ businesses

low attendance.

Area in general is

used for school

of people.

Lawns/ yards not

Many homes have

inviting for anyone to

newspaper boxes

use.

along with mail

boxes.

Television is most
likely the main

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source of media.

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References
Baisch, M. J. (2209). Community health: An evolutionary concept of nursing. Journal of
Advanced Nursing, 65: 2464- 2476. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05068.x
Demarco, R., Harkness, G., (2012). Community and public health nursing. Philadelphia, PA:
Wolters Kluwer Health.
Healthy People (2013). Tobacco Use
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=41