Concept of Community and Aggregate Care Essay Example

Concept of Community and Aggregate Care Essay Example Concept of Community and Aggregate Care Paper Concept of Community and Aggregate Care Paper Public health nurses and other care providers face various roles and challenges when working within the community. It is vital that nurses understand the differences between indirect and direct services and aggregate care vs. community based approaches to health care and service delivery. Indirect roles and services that nursing staff provide fall under the category of community based services and typically include assessing patient needs, epidemiological investigation, provision of quality and assurance and public health planning (Stewart, 2004). Within a given community multiple partners become vital to the health and well being of populations served. Aggregate care tends to focus more on individual services and individually appropriate methods of delivery. In many circumstances however community and aggregate based approaches may be considered one in the same. This paper will explore the differences and definition between aggregate and community focused care and delivery of health services to varying populations. Community vs. Aggregate The community includes families, individuals and patients but also nurses, health care providers, doctors and administrators (Smithbattle, Diekemper Drake, 1999). In a community based setting care offered may be more holistically based and driven toward optimizing services to facilitate patient recovery in a comprehensive and inclusive manner (Schnorr, 1999). Other roles that nurses involve themselves with include more focused or aggregate appropriate services (Chase-Ziolek Gruca, 2000). Aggregate health promotion often is considered an innovative approach to nursing services and a method for bringing nursing care into a community (Chase-Ziolek Gruca, 2000; Magilvy Brown, 1997). Almost any environment may become an aggregate where nursing services become directed; any environment, even a church congregation may provide a site where nurses may provide aggregate services (Chase-Ziolek Gruca, 2000). It is important to note in some instances the community may be considered as the aggregate or collection of individuals required community based care and treatment. This may include a particular population, for example a population of underserved clients or the elderly for example, or individuals facing chronic health care conditions (Chase-Ziolek Gruca, 2000). In this situation the community may include a nursing home, worksite or may include an aggregate of people sharing similar demographic circumstances including age, health, religion or something similar. Conclusions Primary care more often resembles aggregate care but can be easily translated into more community-oriented care where the needs of individuals are assessed and planned for within the context of the community. This includes care directed toward the individual but also more comprehensive health services that consider the needs of the family, individuals and other members of the community involved in the care of a patient. The role of nursing staff in this case includes not only identifying and planning for health care priorities and services but also integrating health care and social development among all parties involved, while paying specific attention to the needs of the individual patients (Chase-Ziolek Gruca, 2000). It is important that nurses recognize the need to care for patients in a holistic manner, in a manner that acknowledges the role of varying support figures and members of the patients aggregate community. Bibliography : Chase-Ziolek, M. Gruca, J. (2000). Clients perceptions of distinctive aspects in nursing care received within a congregational setting. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 17(3): 172. Magilvy, J. Brown, N. (1997). Parish nursing: Advanced practice nursing model for healthier communities. Advanced Practice Nursing Quarterly, 2(4): 67-72. Schnorr, M. (1999). Spiritual care giving: A key component of parish nursing. In P. A. Solari-Twadell M. A. McDermott (Eds. ), Parish nursing promoting whole person health with faith communities (pp. 43-53). Thousand Oaks: Sage. Smithbattle, L. Diekemper, M. Drake, M. A. (1999). Articulating the culture and tradition of community health nursing. Public Health Nursing, 16(1): 215-222. Stuart, R. F. (2004). Community health nursing: A challenging career. NSNA The National Student Nurses Association. 2, Jan 2005: nsna. org/career/community. asp