Scope of Community Health Nursing

Definition

Broad Areas of Scope

1. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

• Educating individuals, families, and communities about healthy lifestyles
• Conducting immunization programs
• Screening for communicable and non-communicable diseases (hypertension, diabetes, TB, HIV)
• Providing nutrition counseling and family planning services
• Primary prevention (stopping disease before it starts) is the top priority

2. Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and Family Planning

• Antenatal, intranatal, and postnatal care at the community level
• Growth monitoring and immunization of children
• Promotion of breastfeeding
• Family planning advice and services
• Management of neonatal and child health conditions

3. Home Nursing / Home Health Care

• Providing nursing care to sick, elderly, disabled, or homebound persons in their homes
• Teaching family members to care for patients at home
• Follow-up care after hospital discharge
• Palliative care in the home setting

4. School Health Nursing

• Health assessment of school-age children
• Monitoring growth, vision, hearing, and dental health
• Health education in schools
• First aid and managing minor illness
• Identifying and referring children with special needs

5. Occupational Health Nursing

• Health surveillance of workers in industries and workplaces
• Prevention of occupational diseases and injuries
• Pre-employment and periodic medical examinations
• Rehabilitation of workers after illness or injury

6. Environmental Health

• Surveillance of environmental sanitation (water, waste, food safety)
• Monitoring disease outbreaks linked to environmental factors
• Educating communities on safe water, proper sewage disposal, and vector control

7. Communicable Disease Control

• Surveillance and early detection of communicable diseases
• Contact tracing (TB, HIV, COVID-19, etc.)
• Administration of vaccines
• Outbreak investigation and epidemic control

8. Geriatric / Elderly Care in the Community

• Home visits and follow-up for elderly patients
• Prevention of falls, bedsores, and dehydration
• Supporting mental health in older adults
• Coordination with social services

9. Mental Health Nursing in the Community

• Identifying individuals with mental illness at the community level
• Providing basic counseling and psychosocial support
• Ensuring medication adherence for psychiatric patients
• Destigmatizing mental health in the community

10. Rehabilitation Nursing

• Supporting recovery of individuals after stroke, injuries, or surgery
• Teaching mobility and self-care skills to patients and caregivers
• Integration of persons with disability into the community

11. Research and Evidence-Based Practice

• Conducting community health assessments and surveys
• Participating in epidemiological studies
• Using data to identify health problems and evaluate programs

12. Policy, Advocacy, and Health Education

• Advocating for equitable access to health services
• Participating in the development of public health policies
• Educating communities on rights and available health resources

Core Concepts Guiding the Scope (ANA, 2022)

1. Social determinants of health
2. Community collaboration
3. Population health
4. Ecological model of health (micro to macro levels)
5. Culturally congruent, respectful, and equitable practice
6. Levels of prevention (primary, secondary, tertiary)
7. Ethics
8. Social justice
9. Health equity

Settings Where CHN is Practiced

Summary