The Clinical Specialist in Community Health Nursing: A Solution for the 21st Century

• Published in: Public health Nursing Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 386 - 391
• Main Authors: Hemstrom, Marion, Ambrose, MaryAnn, Donahue, Gayle, Glick, Laurie, Lai, Hui Ling, Preechawong, Sunida
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Inc 01.09.2000; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; clinical specialist in CHN; Community Health Nursing - education; Community Health Nursing - trends; Curriculum; curriculum for CHN; General aspects; Health Services for the Aged; Home Care Services; Humans; Medical sciences; Nurse Clinicians - education; Nurse Clinicians - trends; Nursing; Planification. Prevention (methods). Intervention. Evaluation; program evaluation; program implementation; program planning; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; School Nursing - education; United States; Ohio; United States; North America; America; Evaluation; Sanitary program; Health staff; Epidemiology; Implementation; Care; Nursing; Professional practice; Community health; Planning; Medical specialty; Occupational training; Public health; Nurse
• ISSN: 0737-1209; 1525-1446
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1525-1446.2000.00386.x

The clinical specialist (CS) in community health nursing (CHN) addresses health problems in populations and communities in ways that are different from and complimentary to strategies used by practitioners of individualized patient care. Four programs based on comprehensive assessments, systematic program planning, deliberate implementation, and both formative and summative evaluation are presented. The programs were developed by graduate students in the CHN clinical specialization major at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. With expert faculty guidance and a competency‐driven program of study, strategies were implemented to promote the health of community‐dwelling well elderly people, home health care nurses who provide service to patients with respiratory problems, and high school students in a private religious school. Experienced parish nurses also benefited from a program designed to enhance their skills in theological reflection. This article also describes the curricular design developed to educate this clinician for the 21st century. Lastly, continued attention to the dynamic criteria of the American Nurses Association Standards of Community Health Nursing Practice is recommended as crucial to the further development of this clinical specialization.