Windshield Survey Reflection
Windshield Survey Reflection
Sandra Middlestate
NUR/405
June 25, 2012
Windshield Survey Reflection
While completing my windshield survey I had many revelations about the community I have lived near all my life. They will be discussed along with three aspects of community life that could affect health, each with two nursing interventions that would produce a positive effect on the health indicator. It will list community health partnerships, while identifying cultural diversity and its role in community health.
All my life I have lived near the city of Watertown population thirty thousand. The economy has been affected for the worse along with many job losses locally over the last twenty years. My impression of the area has always been that is consisted of mostly middle- income to upper- income standard of living with minimal low income. After completing the windshield survey “the equivalent of a community head to toe assessment.” (Stanhope, & Lancaster, 2012, p. 420) then re-driving the same route again was a real eye opener. The whole city is so complex the idea of boundaries that aren’t fences was foreign to me at first but is now so obvious. Looking closely at the homes and the condition the houses, yards, sidewalks were in gives an idea of the prosperity of the people living there. It can be easy to drive through residential areas occasionally and not really see the condition the community is in. It takes a trained eye to readily identify concerns.
The area has a large military base within twenty miles so there is a diverse ethnic population with a large portion being young single males. The first nursing diagnosis of alcohol and drug use is concerning for many areas of the population. From the solider home on leave many with PTSD, to the many other people in the community that abuse alcohol and drugs. The two interventions would be rehabilitating the individual and counseling to prevent backslide condition by providing the person with
Sandra Middlestate
NUR/405
June 25, 2012
Windshield Survey Reflection
While completing my windshield survey I had many revelations about the community I have lived near all my life. They will be discussed along with three aspects of community life that could affect health, each with two nursing interventions that would produce a positive effect on the health indicator. It will list community health partnerships, while identifying cultural diversity and its role in community health.
All my life I have lived near the city of Watertown population thirty thousand. The economy has been affected for the worse along with many job losses locally over the last twenty years. My impression of the area has always been that is consisted of mostly middle- income to upper- income standard of living with minimal low income. After completing the windshield survey “the equivalent of a community head to toe assessment.” (Stanhope, & Lancaster, 2012, p. 420) then re-driving the same route again was a real eye opener. The whole city is so complex the idea of boundaries that aren’t fences was foreign to me at first but is now so obvious. Looking closely at the homes and the condition the houses, yards, sidewalks were in gives an idea of the prosperity of the people living there. It can be easy to drive through residential areas occasionally and not really see the condition the community is in. It takes a trained eye to readily identify concerns.
The area has a large military base within twenty miles so there is a diverse ethnic population with a large portion being young single males. The first nursing diagnosis of alcohol and drug use is concerning for many areas of the population. From the solider home on leave many with PTSD, to the many other people in the community that abuse alcohol and drugs. The two interventions would be rehabilitating the individual and counseling to prevent backslide condition by providing the person with
References: HealthyPeople.gov Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J., (2012). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (8th ed,). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov