Nursing (NURS) 529

Introduction

Nursing 529: Community Health Development examines principles and processes of community health development, an approach to promoting the health of communities.

The principles that are foundational to community health development are the principles of primary health care and community development. Students study each of these in depth and consider how they are incorporated into the service delivery of a particular community health agency. Students study a problem-solving process for community health development and begin to apply this by collecting preliminary data about a community. Students analyze this data to determine its implications for the health of populations (children, adults, and older adults) and identify vulnerable populations in a community. Next, students identify trends in the health of populations that may influence community health development. Finally, students link with research centres across the county that are investigating the health of populations and communities.

Course Goals

After completing this course, students should be able to:

1. critically analyze the principles of primary health care and community development as they apply to the health of communities;
2. describe a process of community health development;
3. apply a community health assessment process with a community, with particular emphasis on populations of children, adults, and older adults;
4. on the basis of a preliminary community health assessment, identify vulnerable populations within the community;
5. evaluate the incorporation of principles of primary health care and community development into service delivery of a community agency in your health region;
6. discuss trends that may influence community development activities directed towards the health of children, adults, and older adults;
7. link with research centres investigating the health of populations and communities.

Course Materials

NURS 529 comprises online and print-based course materials.

Online Materials

• Introduction: Provides essential information about the course materials, the design of the course, and the procedures you should follow to complete the course successfully.
• Schedule: Outlines the timing of course activities
• Units: There are 5 units in this course.
• Assessment: Outlines the assignments/evaluation procedures of the course.
• Reference: Listing of required readings, websites, and citations included in the units.

Print Materials

Course Structure

In this course, you will access health-related websites worldwide. You will also participate in email and computer conferencing with other students. Students are expected to connect to an Internet Service Provider at their own expense.

Technical Requirements

Computer System

In order to successfully complete this course, you must own or have ready access to certain computer hardware and software programs. For complete and up-to-date information on the minimum computer requirements required to complete the graduate nursing courses, visit the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies technical site.

Course Outline

NURS 529 consists of the following 5 units:

Unit 1: Introduction to Community Health Development
This unit introduces students to principles that are the foundation of community health development. These are principles of primary health care and principles of community development. The unit also introduces a basic approach to community health development, an approach that students will begin to use by collecting preliminary data about a community.

Unit 2: Primary Health Care Principles in Community Health Development
In Unit 2, students examine more closely the principles of primary health care: health promotion, accessibility, appropriate technology, participation, and collaboration. Health promotion is the essence of community health development and so that principle is studied in more depth, referring to examples of community health promotion programs.

Unit 3: Community Development Principles in Community Health Development
In this unit, students explore the principles of community development: collaboration, connective processes, empowerment, advocacy, and healthy public policies. The principle of collaboration is common to both primary health care and community development and is studied in Unit 2.

Unit 4: Community Health Development with Populations
This unit discusses the determinants of health, the many factors that influence health within both health and non-health sectors of society. The determinants of health are presented from a population health approach with a particular focus on the health of vulnerable populations. Much work in community health development is with groups and so the unit examines principles of working with groups. Conflict in an inherent part of group work and the unit concludes with a discussion of conflict resolution.

Unit 5: Trends and Research in Community Health Development
In the final unit of the course, students explore the interrelationships among the principles by examining their application in a community program. As well, students consider selected issues and trends that will affect the health of populations (children, adults, and older adults) that are the target of community development efforts. Lastly, students connect with websites devoted to research with these populations and with community health.