Community Health Scoring Guide CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED Explain the factors that contribute to a critical health care issue within a specific community. Does not list the factors that contribute to a critical health care issue within a specific community. Lists the factors that contribute to a critical health care issue within a specific community. Explains the factors that contribute to a critical health care issue within a specific community. Explains the factors that contribute to a critical health care issue within a specific community, and clearly illustrates how the factors affect the critical health care issue. Describe current interventions to target a critical health care issue within a specific community. Does not describe interventions to target a critical health care issue within a specific community. Identifies interventions to target a critical health care issue within a specific community, but does not clarify whether the interventions are current. Describes current interventions to target a critical health care issue within a specific community. Describes current interventions to target a critical health care issue within a specific community, and includes details on duration, communication methods, and effectiveness. Describe the scope and role of nursing in current interventions that target a critical health care issue. Does not describe the scope and role of nursing in current interventions that target a critical health care issue. Describes the scope and role of nursing in current interventions, but does not show how the interventions target a critical health care issue. Describes the scope and role of nursing in current interventions that target a critical health care issue. Explains how the scope and role of nursing in current interventions that target a critical health care issue contribute to positive health outcomes. Recommend evidence-based ways to expand the scope of interventions to target a critical health care issue. Does not recommend ways to expand the scope of interventions to target a critical health issue. Recommends ways to expand the scope of interventions to target a critical health issue, but does not support recommendations with sound evidence. Recommends evidence-based ways to expand the scope of interventions to target a critical health issue. Recommends evidence- based ways to expand the scope of interventions to target a critical health issue in terms of cost, efficiency and access, and effectiveness. Includes both conventional and unconventional interventions. Describe a critical health care issue within a specific community. Does not identify a critical health care issue within a specific community. Identifies a critical health care issue within a specific community. Describes a critical health care issu.

1. Community Health Scoring Guide
CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT
DISTINGUISHED
Explain the factors
that contribute to a
critical health care
issue within a
specific community.
Does not list the
factors that
contribute to a
critical health care
issue within a
specific
community.
Lists the factors that
contribute to a critical
health care issue within
a specific community.
Explains the
factors that
contribute to a
critical health care
issue within a
specific
community.

2. Explains the factors that
contribute to a critical
health care issue within a
specific community, and
clearly illustrates how the
factors affect the critical
health care issue.
Describe current
interventions to
target a critical
health care issue
within a specific
community.
Does not describe
interventions to
target a critical
health care issue
within a specific
community.
Identifies interventions to
target a critical health
care issue within a
specific community, but
does not clarify whether
the interventions are
current.
Describes current
interventions to
target a critical
health care issue
within a specific
community.

3. Describes current
interventions to target a
critical health care issue
within a specific
community, and includes
details on duration,
communication methods,
and effectiveness.
Describe the scope
and role of nursing
in current
interventions that
target a critical
health care issue.
Does not describe
the scope and role
of nursing in
current
interventions that
target a critical
health care issue.
Describes the scope and
role of nursing in current
interventions, but does
not show how the
interventions target a
critical health care issue.
Describes the
scope and role of
nursing in current
interventions that

4. target a critical
health care issue.
Explains how the scope
and role of nursing in
current interventions that
target a critical health care
issue contribute to
positive health outcomes.
Recommend
evidence-based
ways to expand the
scope of
interventions to
target a critical
health care issue.
Does not
recommend ways
to expand the
scope of
interventions to
target a critical
health issue.
Recommends ways to
expand the scope of
interventions to target a
critical health issue, but
does not support
recommendations with
sound evidence.
Recommends
evidence-based

5. ways to expand
the scope of
interventions to
target a critical
health issue.
Recommends evidence-
based ways to expand the
scope of interventions to
target a critical health
issue in terms of cost,
efficiency and access, and
effectiveness. Includes
both conventional and
unconventional
interventions.
Describe a critical
health care issue
within a specific
community.
Does not identify a
critical health care
issue within a
specific
community.
Identifies a critical health
care issue within a
specific community.
Describes a
critical health care
issue within a
specific

6. community.
Describes a critical health
care issue within a
specific community, and
provides statistical
information related to
frequency, severity, and
population most affected.
Write content clearly
and logically with
correct use of
grammar,
punctuation, and
mechanics.
Does not write
content clearly,
logically, or with
correct use of
grammar,
punctuation, and
mechanics.
Writes with errors in
clarity, logic, grammar,
punctuation, and/or
mechanics.
Writes content
clearly and
logically with
correct use of
grammar,
punctuation, and

7. mechanics.
Writes clearly and
logically with correct use
of spelling, grammar,
punctuation, and
mechanics; uses relevant
evidence to support a
central idea.
Correctly format
citations and
references, using
current APA style.
Does not correctly
format citations
and references,
using current APA
style.
Uses current APA style
to format citations and
references, but with
numerous errors.
Correctly formats
citations and
references, using
current APA style
with few errors.
Correctly formats citations
and references, using
current APA style with no
errors.

8. ©1998-2016 HealthWyse LLC 1 of 1 Community Health
Scoring Guide
Overview
Prepare a 3–4 page report on a critical health issue in a
community or state. Describe the factors that contribute to the
health issue and interventions that have been implemented.
Explain the scope and role of nursing in the interventions, and
recommend ways the scope of the interventions might be
expanded.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will
demonstrate your proficiency in the following course
competencies and assessment criteria:
•Competency 1: Explain the factors that affect the health of
communities. ◦Explain the factors that contribute to a critical
health care issue within a specific community.
•Competency 2: Apply evidence-based interventions to promote
health and disease prevention and respond to community health
issues. ◦Describe current interventions to target a critical health
care issue within a specific community.
◦Describe the scope and role of nursing in current interventions
that target a critical health care issue.
◦Recommend evidence-based ways to expand the scope of
interventions to target a critical health care issue.
•Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly,
professional, and consistent with expectations of a nursing
professional. ◦Describe a critical health care issue within a
specific community.
◦Write content clearly and logically with correct use of
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
◦Correctly format citations and references, using current APA
style.
Context
Community/public health nursing is nursing care that is

9. population-focused and occurs in non-hospital settings.
Numerous nursing theories can provide the structure for
community/public health nursing; however, nursing theories
that incorporate components of the general systems theory
frequently provide the framework for the practice of
community/public health nursing.
Historically, nurses have made significant contributions to the
field of public health. From providing maternal-child care to
poor women in the late 1800s, to promoting hygiene among
school aged children in the early 1900s, to providing
environmental and safety care to industrial workers during
World War I, nurses have been instrumental in shaping health
policies (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Today, community/public
health nurses have a key role in identifying and developing
plans of care to address local, national, and international health
issues.
Many factors influence the health of communities and
populations, including national policies that focus on health
promotion. Healthy People, a major national health promotion
program issued by the U.S. Surgeon General, identifies major
health problems of the nation and sets national goals and
objectives targeting health promotion (Maurer & Smith, 2013).
If adopted, activities that target health promotion can result in
disease prevention.
Reference
Maurer, F. A., & Smith, C. M. (2013). Community/public health
nursing practice: Health for families and populations (5th ed.).
St. Louis, MO: W. B. Saunders.
Questions to Consider
To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider
the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a
work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the
business community.
•What kinds of public health care services are available in your
community? Do you think these services adequately meet the

10. needs of the community?
•How would you improve the scope of the services?
Suggested Resources
Library Resources
•Severance, J. H., & Zinnah, S. L. (2009). Community-based
perceptions of neighborhood health in urban neighborhoods.
Journal of Community Health Nursing, 26(1), 14–23.
•Schofield, R., Ganann, R., Brooks, S., McGugan, J., Bona, K.
D., Betker, C., Dilworth, K., … Watson, C. (2011). Community
health nursing vision for 2020: Shaping the future. Western
Journal of Nursing Research, 33(8),1047–1068.
•Mendez-Luck, C. A., Bethel, J. W., Goins, R. T., Schure, M.
B., & McDermott, E. (2015). Community as a source of health
in three racial/ethnic communities in Oregon: A qualitative
study. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 1–10.
•Galloway-Gilliam, L. (2013). Racial and ethnic approaches to
community health. National Civic Review, 102(4), 46–48.
Assessment Instructions
Preparation
Suppose your organization is concerned about a number of
health issues that have either affected an increased number of
the residents in the community or show the probability of
affecting a larger number of people in the population. Your
organizational leaders have asked different health care
professionals within the organization, including you, to examine
the issues from your perspective, and to submit a report that
includes evidence-based ways to address the issues.
You will first need to identify a critical health care issue in
your community or state. You may choose either a public health
issue, such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), measles,
Lyme disease, asthma, etcetera; or a community health issue,
such as uncontrolled diabetes, congestive heart disease, 30-day
readmission, et cetera.
Requirements

11. Format this assessment as a professional report. It may help to
look at reports or other documents used within your
organization and to follow that formatting. You must still
follow APA guidelines for in-text citations and references, and
include a title page and reference page.
Within the report:
•Describe one critical health issue in your community or state
that has grown larger or has the potential to become larger. Be
sure to include any statistics available on the health issue. Tip:
check your county and/or state health department Web site.
•Explain the factors that contribute to this health issue.
Consider things such as access to health care services,
economics, culture, attitude, education, health care policies, and
so on.
•Describe any interventions your community or state has put in
place to address the health care issue. Include information on
how long the interventions have been in place, how the
community was made aware of the interventions, and so on.
•Describe the scope and role of nursing and public health
nursing in the interventions to reduce the health issue.
•Recommend evidence-based ways the scope of the
interventions could be expanded to increase positive health
outcomes. Think in terms of cost, efficiency and access,
effectiveness, and the use of both conventional and
unconventional interventions.
Additional Requirements
Complete your assessment using the following specifications:
•Title page and reference page.
•Number of pages: 3–4 (not including the title and reference
pages).
•At least 3 current scholarly or professional resources.
•APA format for citations and references.
•Times New Roman font, 12-point, double-spaced.