Community health nursing is aimed at promoting and preserving the health of entire populations. It focuses on health promotion, education, and providing comprehensive care to communities. The key principles of community health nursing are recognizing community needs, clearly defining objectives, involving community groups, making services available to all, viewing families and communities as the unit of service, and providing health education and counseling. The overall goals are to promote health, prevent and control diseases, and provide needed healthcare services to communities.

1. Introduction to
community health
nursing
Ms Amala.M.Sc Nursing

2. Definition
• According to American Nursing Association,
• “Community health nursing is a synthesis of nursing practice and public
health practice applied in promoting and preserving the health of
populations.
• the nature of this practice is general and comprehensive. it is not limited
to a particular age or diagnostic group. It is continuous and not episodic.
The dominant responsibility is to the population as a whole

3. • Therefore Nursing directed to individuals, families or groups
contributes to the health of the total population
• Health promotion, health maintenance, health education,
• coordination and continuity of care are
• utilized in a holistic approach to the
• management of the individual, family group and community.

4. Philosophy of CHN
• Philosophy of individual’s right of being healthy
Philosophy of working together under a competent leader for the common
good.
• Philosophy that people in the community have the potential for continual
development and are capable of dealing with their own problems if educated
and helped.
• Philosophy of Socialism

5. Aims of CHN
• The aim of community health nursing practice is to promote health and
efficiency
• To prevent and control diseases and disabilities.
• To prolong life by providing need based, well balanced comprehensive health
care services to community at large through organized community efforts.

6. Objectives
• To increase the capability of community to deal with their own health problems.
• 2) To strengthen community resources
• 3) To control and counteract environment
• 4) To prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases
• 5) To provide specialized services
• 6) To conduct research
• 7) To prepare health personnel

7. Principles of CHN
• Recognized needs and functioning within the total health
programme.
• 2)Clearly defined objectives and purposes for it’s services
• 3)An active organized citizens group of the community group is
an integral part of the community health programme.
• 4)Community health nursing services are available to the entire
community

8. • 5)Community health nursing recognized the family and community as units of
service.
• 6)Health education and counseling for the individual, family and community are the
integral part of community health nursing.
• 7)Participation in planning relating to goals for the attainment of health.
• 8)The community health nurse should qualify as a full-fledged nurse.
• 9)Based on the needs of the patient and there should be proper continuity of
services

9. • Periodic and continuous appraisal and evaluation of health
situation
• 11) The community health nurse should function/serve as an
important member of the health team.
• 12)There should be provision for qualified nurse to make
supervision for community health services.
• 13)The community health nurse directs the patient to appropriate
community resources for necessary financial and social assistance.
• 14)Should not accept gifts or bribes from the patients

10. • The community health nurse should not belong to one particular
section or political group.
• 16)Community health agency should provide a continuing education
programmefor nurse
• 17)The nurses assume responsibilities of their own continuing
professional development through acquiring higher and higher
education and forming and strengthening the professional
associations
• 18)The community health nursing services should develop proper
guidelines, in maintaining records and reports.
• 19)There should be proper facilities and job conditions.
• 20)The community health nurse should maintain professional
relationship with all leaders in the community and maintain ethics at