Community Assessment & Analysis
“Windshield Survey”
Purpose
and Background Information
Nurses must be able to knowledgeably plan services for individuals, families and the community. In order to effectively plan, it is essential that you assess the current health status of the community and its resources.
Assessment may include the following strategies: Mining of health data bases, windshield or walking surveys, and more formal quantitative and qualitative research investigations involving community members and other stakeholders. A “windshield survey” is conducted from a car and provides a visual overview of a community (may also be done as a walking survey). Conditions and trends in the community that could affect the health of the population (social determinants) are noted. Most surveys of this type must be validated and expanded through data mining of available online and other databases of demographic and health-related statistics.
Evidence collected during a formal community assessment forms the basis for planning to improve the health status of the community, which impacts individuals’ health downstream.
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1. Community Assessment & Analysis
“Windshield Survey”
Purpose
and Background Information
Nurses must be able to knowledgeably plan services for
individuals, families and the community. In order to effectively
plan, it is essential that you assess the current health status of
the community and its resources.
Assessment may include the following strategies: Mining of
health data bases, windshield or walking surveys, and more
formal quantitative and qualitative research investigations
involving community members and other stakeholders. A
“windshield survey” is conducted from a car and provides a
visual overview of a community (may also be done as a walking
survey). Conditions and trends in the community that could
affect the health of the population (social determinants) are
noted. Most surveys of this type must be validated and
expanded through data mining of available online and other
databases of demographic and health-related statistics.
Evidence collected during a formal community assessment
forms the basis for planning to improve the health status of the
community, which impacts individuals’ health downstream.
