NRS 428VN Topic 1 DQ 1 2022/ Population health is measured through assessments and statistical data to determine health care needs
and barriers. “Community and public health nurses consider the effect of ethnicity, culture, spiritual
values, and geographic and socioeconomic conditions on the wellness of the population” (Green, n.d.).
The goal is to provide safe and quality patient care to promote health for individuals and their
communities. The role of the community health nurse has expanded from that of restorative care
(nursing care of patient conditions outside the hospital) to now incorporating family health promotion,
as well as participating in occupational and education programs. The public health nurse (PHN) must be
able to work within the differing levels of the community as well as be able to collaborate with the
stakeholders involved in the community. The PHN and the stakeholders work alongside one another to
develop plans and desired outcomes for the promotion of the population’s health.
The PHN uses community assessments to build a foundation of the health problems and hazards the
community may be experiencing. Once this data has been collected the PHN can then devise a plan
using the community resources available to help create solutions. “The PHN builds knowledge and
shapes attitudes about health through health education initiatives, informing the public of choices in