Nursings Role in Population Based Issues

Nursings Role in Population Based Issues

Angie Robl RN, CMSRN, BC Gerontology
Ferris State University

Abstract
The role of the public health nurses is growing with advancements in the field of nursing and the
recognition of the abilities of public health nurses. Nurses have many roles in the community
and can be an asset to community change projects. Two of the possible roles for nurses in a
community change project are the role of a direct contact nurse and the role of a nurse
manager/leader. The purpose of the paper is to further explore the scope of these roles for
nurses, analysis the differences and personal reflection of my abilities to fill these roles.

Nursing Role in Population Based Issues

As described by the American Nurses Association,
Population-based public health nursing interventions are not limited to those who seek
service, are poor, or otherwise vulnerable. Public health nursing services and programs
may be directed toward entire populations within a community, the systems that affect
the health of those populations, or the individuals and families within those populations.
The public health nurse partners with communities and populations to reduce health risks
and to promote, maintain, and restore health, advocating for systems-level changes to
improve health, (p. 50, 2006).
There are many levels of care that nurses can become involved with when working public health.
For the purpose of this paper, two roles, a direct contact nurse and a manager nurse will be
considered.

Direct Contact Nurse

For the implementation of a community based change project a direct contact nurse could
already be working in the community. This could be a position in home care, public health
department, public school system, or community out patient education center. A direct care
nurse role could also be filled by a volunteer nurse that has the appropriate skills for the
community change program. A direct care nurse role could be involved in the process of
bringing the community change project to the community members. This role would require the
nurse to coordinate with and delegate to non-clinical associates as appropriate for the project and
work directly with the community members to implement change. The nurse would be working
as a team member of a group including community members and professionals from other fields.

Other members of the team may include social workers, policy makers, elected officials, public
health professionals, school officials, senior center directors, educators, lay health workers, and
researcher, (Harkness, p.149-150, 2012).
The public health nurse provides leadership in both nursing and public health,
(ASTDN, 2008). There are many characteristics of leadership needed any nurse role. A few of
those characteristics needed for the direct care nurse are; dependability, trustworthy, empathy,
ethical standards, competent, inspiring, open minded, knowledgeable, perseverance, imagination,
initiative, decisiveness, resourceful, tact and organization. These characteristics coincide with
the ANA standards of practice. To provide quality care a nurse must be competent, organized
and resourceful. Nurses should be open minded and inspiring to create an environment of
collegiality. Respect for the abilities and appreciation for the contributions of community
members and other health and social service professionals are essential to the success of team
building and collaboration, (Harkness, p. 150, 2012). The standard of practice regarding ethics
is a corner stone of every nursing practice. Community change projects will be based on
evidence based practices which demonstrate the standard of continuing research. Often
community based projects have budgets that are less than desirable. Therefore, the appropriate
utilization of resources will be a skill needed to stay within the confines of the budget.
Manager Nurse
Manager/leader nurse roles in community based projects can be varied. The leader nurse
role could be the role of Chief Nurse that helps on the governmental level assigning funding for
state projects or writing policy that affects public health nursing at a national or state level. The
leader role could also be the Nurse Practitioner that runs the county health department that will

implement community change on a local level or the team leader of a small community change
project.
As nurses rise through the public health ranks, they are bringing the knowledge and
experience they have acquired in the field back to the policy table with tangible results.
Across the country, they are crafting and implementing innovative strategies to advance
the health of the public. In some states and counties, nurse leaders are creating new
paradigms that are transforming the ways in which governments carryout the business of
public health, (RWJ Foundation, 2008).
As part of a community change project a nurse leader would still be part of a team. The
nurse leader would work with other members of the community to assess the need for change,
the communitys readiness for change and plan how that change will take place.
The nurse in the leader/manager role would need to be intelligent, resourceful,
persevering, inspiring, broad minded, fair minded, proactive, and ethical. The nursing standards
of quality, education, collegiality, ethics, collaboration, research, and resource utilization are
followed to show competence and professionalism.
Analysis
The roles of the direct care nurse and the nurse leader are similar in the need to work
effectively as part of a multi-discipline team. In both roles nurses need to be organized,
intelligent, trustworthy, knowledgeable, imaginative and persevering. A nurse leader uses these
skills to organize and plan the community change project while a direct care nurse uses those
skills to implement the project. In small rural communities the nurse may function in both roles
as there may not be many nurses available.

The roles differ in their specific goals. The goal of the leader is to identify a need for
changes, find available resources in the community and collaborate with those resources and
community members to plan an intervention.

The direct care role is more focused on the

implementation of the plan. Working with the community, the direct care nurse focuses of
bringing the plan to fruition.
Reflection
My career in nursing has been focused on hospital based general medical surgical
nursing. In the fast paced setting I work in I have developed skills of organization, delegation,
team work. Working with public sometimes means finding ways for patients to get the care they
need with limited funds. In such conditions I have learned to be creative and collaborate with
other social and health care workers to find solutions. I have learned how to be a leader for the
team caring for the patients I am assigned to for my shift. Considering the role of the nurse
leader I have the skills to asses needs and collaborate with others to find solutions. Considering
the role of the direct care nurse I have experience being part of a team that delivers care working
as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
As a nurse leader in a community change project I would be challenged to effectively
assess a community and collaborate with community leaders. My experiences have taught me to
assess and teach an individual and/or family. However, I do not have the experience or
education to look at a whole population. Also, I do not have the contacts within the community
to network and collaborate with the community leaders or community members effectively.
To learn these skills I believe that I would need to finish my BSN and become more
active in the community. To become proficient in working with the population as a whole I
would need to become active in current community change projects. Working in a direct care

nurse role I could gain experience in caring for a community. I could also become involved in
committees planning future community change projects.
Conclusion
There are many roles a nurse can assume to take part of caring for a community. Nurses
can play an important role in their professional and personal lives as advocates and champions
for health improvement, social justice, and health equity at the local, regional, national, and
global levels, (Harkness, pg 157, 2012). I have the skills to fill the role of a direct care nurse,
however, continued growth and learning are necessary for me to fill the role of a leader/manager
nurse. A round man cannot be expected to fit into a square hole right away. He must have time
to modify his shape, (Mark Twain), (Harkness, pg. 144, 2012).

References
American Nurses Association. (2006). Public Health Nursing Scope and Standards of
Practice. Washington, D.C.: American Nurses Publishing.
ASTDN Committee.(n.d.). The Public Health Nurses Role in Achieving Health
Equity:.InAssociation of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing. Retrieved from
http://www.astdn.org/downloadablefiles/ASTDN-health-equity-11-08.pdf
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (September, 2008). Strengthening public health nursing-Part
II, How Nurse Leaders in Policy making Positions Are Transforming Public Health.In
Charting Nursings Future. Retrieved from
https://fsuvista.ferris.edu/webct/urw/lc3140625095061.tp3335009570071/displayContent
Page.dowebct?pageID=3335009631071&resetBreadcrumb=false&displayBCInsideFram
e=true
Harkness, G.A., &DeMarco, R.F. (2012).Community and Public Health Nursing:
for Practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Evidence

Nurs 340~NursingsRoleinPopulation BasedIssues Paper

Name: Angie Robl
RubricforRoleReflection
Section
Guidelines
Possible
Points
Clearlyidentifiestwonursingrolesneededtocarryoutcommunity
Content
10%
changeproposal.
15%
Roleofdirectcontactnurse
o Identifiespossibleagencyfor nursingrole.

Points
Earned
10
15

o
Identifiesa
leadershiprolea
nursemighttakeinpartof
theproposal.
o Clearlyexplainswhatleadershipcharacteristicswould
beneededtobeeffectiveincarryingoutthisrole.
o
LinkstoANAStandardsofProfessionalPractice.

Roleofleader/managernurse
o Identifiespossibleagencyfor nursingrole.

15%

15

o Identifiesa leadershiprolea nursemighttakeinpartof

theproposal.
o Clearlyexplainswhatleadershipcharacteristicswould
beneededtobeeffectiveincarryingoutthisrole.
o LinkstoANAStandardsofProfessionalPractice.

Analysis
o Howaretherolessimilar?
o Howaretherolesdifferent?
o Whataretheimplicationsforthedifferentskills
needed?

30%

30

Reflection

30%

30

oWhichofyourskillsmightbemostsuitedtoeachrole?
oWhatrolerequirementswouldbea challengeforyou?
oWhatmightyoudotobecompetentineitherrole?

Content
100%
100
Grade
Upto30%ofgrademaybedeductedforwritingandformaterrors.
Writing
-30%
-20
Comments:
Total:
100%
80
A
Angie,
Good job with the content!! All areas were covered. I can tell you do have an understanding of the
separate roles by community/public health nurses. I did note several APA, grammar & spelling errors (13
errors). See comments in paper. Make sure that you review and have someone else review your papers
prior to submitting for grading to catch some of these errors.
Jo