Collaboration with city agencies: a winning approach to community assessment.
Five graduate nursing students made a difference in the health of San Antonio citizens by conducting a community assessment as part of a standard clinical activity in their community health nursing course. The students and their professor were able to effect city-wide change for health protection and promotion through collaboration with the City of San Antonio Planning Department (CSAPD). By compiling information, linking organizations, and speaking before community groups about the importance of a fluoridated water supply, the students generated public interest and momentum, which resulted in a successful vote to add fluoride to the water supply. In addition, they were able to add to the assessment compiled by the Planning Department employees and increase the CSAPD's awareness of health concerns as an important area to assess within a community. The resulting assessment was more comprehensive than it would have been without the students' input. This use of collaboration provides a model other faculty may adopt for community assessment.
Reifsnider
Elizabeth
E
School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1029, USA. elreifsn@utmb.edu
Dominguez
Amy
A
Friesenhahn
Jana
J
Hodges
Pamela
P
Chapin
Candace
C
Sims
W Bryan
WB
D002140:California; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration; D003256:Community Participation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration; D005457:Fluoridation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016294:Models, Nursing; D017146:Models, Organizational; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*