METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION: Identify the Three Methods by which Nurses Obtain Community Assessment Data.
Community assessment data may be gathered in a variety of ways by nurses. For the fullest picture of a community in terms of health, nurses generally combine many different methods. The most apparent source of community knowledge is the government (Community toolbox, n.d.). Information from local companies and community groups is also available. To better serve their clients, companies may keep track of community statistics. It’s also possible for residents to provide vital information about their town.
Observation is a technique that nurses employ to collect data for community assessments. Go out into the community and observe people and their surroundings. For the nurse, this might be an excellent opportunity to acquire a sense of the community’s demographics and culture. Interviews are another way that nurses collect community assessment data. Individual or group discussions with members of the community are part of this process (Community toolbox, n.d.). This is a terrific approach to learning about the town and getting a feel for the people that live there. Finally, surveys may be used by nurses to gather information about the state of the community. People in the community will be asked to fill out a questionnaire as part of this process. This may be a terrific approach to quickly getting a significant quantity of data from many individuals. It’s common for nurses to utilize a mix of these strategies to gain the fullest picture of a community’s demographics (Community toolbox, n.d.).
As many people as possible should participate in stakeholder interviews to get a clear picture of the prospective community concerns and the perceived repercussions. There are a variety of ways to learn about your town. You may get information about the population, economics, and infrastructure of a community from the government. Information from local companies and community groups is also available. Keeping track of community information may help nurses better understand their patients’ demands and decide where to establish new operations. To better serve their goals, community groups may also gather information on their members and the community. Community members may have great information about their area and may be a good source of information for others.
The study of human societies using systems thinking has grown in popularity in recent years. The reason for this is that communities are made up of people who interact with each other and their surroundings. Systems thinking may help us better understand human societies and develop strategies to enhance their performance (Wells, 2020). If, for example, one section of a community is affected by a change in another area of the community, systems thinking may help us develop solutions that take this into consideration. Systems thinking may also help us better comprehend the function of communities in human systems (Wells, 2020).
References
Wells, D. (2020). Systems thinking view of analytics – part I. Eckerson Group. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.eckerson.com/articles/a-systems-thinking-view-of-analytics-part-i-introduction-to-systems-thinking
Community toolbox. (n.d.). conducting needs assessment surveys. Assessing Community Needs and Resources | Section 7. Conducting Needs Assessment Surveys | Main Section | Community Toolbox. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/conducting-needs-assessment-surveys/main
