Carrying out a community health assessment is an important step that can be used in trying to have a better understanding of the level of health of particular communities and the factors that are likely to expose them to risky health behaviors. It is from such assessments that members of a particular community can be able to evaluate their health status which makes it easy for them to prioritize activities that will ensure their well-being is maintained. The purpose of this paper is to carry out an assessment of the District of Columbia state regarding the statistics on demographics, occupational and environmental hazards, and the available services that can meet the needs of vulnerable populations in the area, and finally provide an assessment of the public health nursing opportunities in the area.
Community Overview
As of July 2015, the estimated population of DC stood at 672,228. This figure is a representation of an increase from the 2010 census. This population size makes it be ranked at position 24 amongst the most populous cities in the United States. The area covered by its metropolitan area places it at position seven in the country having a population of six million residents. The demographic breakdown of the city according to the ethnic background is as follows. 49.5% of the total population is made up of African Americans, 43.4% of the total populace is comprised of the white proportion with 38.8% of this number being made up of the non-Hispanic whites (Chandra et al., 2013). Asians in the city account for 3.9% of the total population whereas the Native American Indian population makes up 0.7% of the total individuals occupying the area. 10.1% of the District’ population is made up of Hispanics coming from diverse races
As of 2010, only 17% of the total population in the area was of age 18 years and above. Additionally, DC has got the least median age standing at 34 years old in comparison to the 50 other states in the country. 81,734 migrants live in the area with persons from Ethiopia, Vietnam and El Salvador making up a majority of these immigrants. Comparing it to the national rate of about one in five, the levels of functionally illiterate persons in the area stand at about a third of the total area population. Such a realization is linked with very few individuals being proficient in The English language due to the immigration. However, more than half of the area’s population has got college degrees. The annual per capita income of the residents stands at 55,755 dollars which are the highest if comparisons are made with other states in the country (Chandra et al., 2013). 19% of the total population lives below the poverty level. Close to 90% of the city’s residents have health insurance covers.
The principal occupational and environmental risks that the residents of DC are exposed to are in line with the management of solid waste. Most workers handling these wastes have got challenges regarding their health due to the exposure to the emissions from the waste materials and the equipment being used. Additionally, the environmental hazards that these individuals are exposed to are the risks related to accidents and the environment (Chandra et al., 2013). There are no standard measures that have been put in place to address these concerns are not sufficient.
Vulnerable populations
Based on the different dimensions of vulnerability in the community, the most notable persons that are under the risk of being affected by ill health in comprises of children, the youth, and pregnant women. The dimensions of vulnerability include developmental, mental, social, emotional, physical and social.
Children are under the risk of developmental vulnerability if they do not meet the stipulated growth milestones which are specific to their ages. These problems are evident regarding delays relating to intrinsic factors like language, motor skills, cognitive abilities, and social development emanating from physiological, environmental and genetic factors. Secondly, the youth, pregnant women, and children may also be under the risk of emotional vulnerability since these persons have problems which are related to how they manage their emotions, expressions, and experiences (National Headquarters Fact Sheet, 2012).
Thirdly, these groups are also under the risk of mental vulnerability regarding their learning, problem-solving, perception and memory. In physical terms, the vulnerabilities that children are exposed to include illnesses like diabetes, respiratory ailments, and asthma in addition to bodily injuries. These problems are as a result of inadequate nutrition, environmental hazards and minimal access to care. Finally, children and the youth are at the risk of social exclusion which results to them being barred from enjoying services such as educational, healthcare, employment and vocational opportunities.
The services which are available for taking care of the needs of these vulnerable populations include; the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) and The Common Wealth Fund. The ESRI is a nonprofit organization that is tasked with conducting policy and research analysis that are important in reforming the state of social services. The objective of this organization is to of boost the level of healthcare of vulnerable communities (Silow-Carroll et al., 2010). This objective is achieved by ensuring that high-quality healthcare is delivered in an affordable manner which is in line with the needs of social programs. The NASHP plays the role of identifying emerging healthcare issues and developing policy solutions that are aimed at improving the state of health of the population (Grossmann et al., 2012). This organization aims at making sure that children can receive insurance covers, provide services responsible for addressing chronic diseases, address public health issues and ensure the safety of vulnerable populations. Finally, the Commonwealth Fund ensures that vulnerable communities like the uninsured, the low-income groups, and the ethnic and racial minorities can obtain care that meets their specific needs (The Commonwealth Fund, 2012).
Impact on Nursing
The public health opportunities present in Washington DC are provided by the District of Columbia Department of Health. The areas of interest in this department include human services, healthcare services, and information materials. The direct health services which are provided for the benefit of public include cardiac and chest clinics, blood tests, diabetic screening, venereal disease clinics, and dental services (Healthfinder.gov, 2016). Additionally, there are customized services to address the needs of children including child abuse prevention and control, and assisting children with speech problems. Furthermore, there are maternal and newborn services which make sure that these groups of populations are well taken care of.
The services provided by this department target at addressing the health care needs of the vulnerable populations in addition to the risks brought about by environmental and occupational hazards. These factors have got a direct impact on the role that the BSN nurse plays in regards to making sure that the members of the public stay healthy (Healthfinder.gov, 2016). If the proportion of vulnerable individuals increases, it will mean that the BSN will have to put in more effort to ensure that the wellbeing of these individuals is maintained. As such, it is imperative that community health nurses understand the role that they have to play in ensuring that members of the population are not exposed to any health risk behaviors likely to compromise their wellbeing.
Summary
Conclusively, by nurses understanding the demographics and behaviors of the populations that they are taking care of, it becomes easier to diagnose such communities’ appropriately. This makes it easy to develop the most appropriate nursing interventions to address the problems. Additionally, having a clear understanding of the occupational and environmental hazards in addition to the vulnerabilities that the public is exposed to makes it easy to address these issues within the shortest time possible.
References
Chandra, A., Blanchard, J., & Ruder, T. (2013). District of Columbia Community Health Needs Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR200/RR207/RAND_RR207.pdf
Grossmann, L., Witgert, K., & Hess, C. (2012). Toward Meeting the Needs of Vulnerable Populations: Issues for Policymakers’ Consideration in Integrating a Safety Net into Health Care Reform Implementation. Retrieved from http://www.nashp.org/sites/default/files/safety.net_.hcr_.pdf
Healthfinder.gov. (2016). District of Columbia Department of Health. Retrieved from https://healthfinder.gov/FindServices/Organizations/Organization.aspx?code=HR0648
National Headquarters Fact Sheet. (2012). Vulnerable Populations. Retrieved from https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Vulnerable%20Populations.pdf
Silow-Carroll, S., Alteras, T., & Stepnick, L. (2010). Patient-Centered Care for Underserved Populations: Definition and Best Practices. Retrieved from http://hsc.unm.edu/community/toolkit/docs8/Overview.pdf
The Commonwealth Fund. (2012). Archived: Vulnerable Populations - The Commonwealth Fund. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/grants-and-fellowships/programs/archived-programs/vulnerable-populations
