Community Health Development

Community Health Development (CHD), as practiced in the WHSMP-PC pilot sites, reflects changing notions of health care worldwide. It draws its concepts and practices from international agreements and from empirical experience of the country in rural development. CHD veers away from largely Western ideas of health and medicine. The aim is to make health care more accessible to the vast majority, in a manner appropriate to the socioeconomic and cultural contexts of a developing country like the Philippines. Community health development is an approach that has two significant characteristics. First, it recognizes that at certain times, for different groups and even individuals, each of these schools of thought works; and that the skill, as a professional applying these strategies, is in knowing how to "mix and phase" them. Second, it is an approach focusing on a specific outcome health improvement, not a broader "empowerment" or "nondirected" outcome, which differentiates it from some community development activities.

Community Health Nursing

CHN is a field of nursing that is a blend of primary health care and nursing practice with public health nursing. The community health nurse conducts a continuing and comprehensive practice that is preventive, curative, and rehabilitative. The philosophy of care is based on the belief that care directed to the individual, the family, and the group contributes to the health care of the population as a whole. The community health nurse is not restricted to the care of a particular age or diagnostic group. Participation of all consumers of health care is encouraged in the development of community activities that contribute to the promotion of, education about, and maintenance of good health. These activities require comprehensive health programs that pay special attention to social and ecologic influences and specific populations at risk.

WHO CHN is a special field of nursing that combines the skills of nursing, public health and some phases of social assistance and functions as part of the total public health program for the promotion of health, improvement of the conditions in the social and physical environment, rehabilitation of illness and disability. DOH A unique blend of nursing and public health practice woven into a human service that properly developed and applied has a tremendous impact on human well being. Its responsibilities extend to the care and supervision of individuals and families in their homes, in place of work, in schools and clinics. Maglaya The utilization of the nursing process in the different levels of clienteleindividuals, families, population groups, and communities, concerned with the promotion of health, prevention of disease and disabilities and rehabilitation.

Family
Basic unit of social structure; the exact definition ofwhich can vary greatly from time to tim e and from culture toculture. How a society defines family as a primary group, and the functions it asks families to perform, are by no means constant. a family is defined specifically as a group of people affiliated by blood or by legal ties such as marriage or adoption.

Community
is that group of people sharing a common understandinga communal understanding who reveal themselves by using the same language, manners, customs and law, which is their tradition.

Community is a set of people (or agents in a more abstract sense) with some shared element. Also a community is a group of people or things that live in the same area. The substance of shared element varies widely, from a situation to interest to lives and values. The term is widely used to evoke sense of collectivity. The origin of the word community comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. Community literally means to give among each other. Community could be defined as a group of people who share gifts which they provide to all.

PHILOSOPHY OF CHN:
Margaret Shetland - The philosophy of CHN is based on the worth and dignity of man.

GOAL OF CHN:
To raise the level of citizenry by helping communities and families to cope with the discontinuities in and threats to health in such a way as to maximize their potential for high-level wellness

CONCEPTS OF CHN:

The primary focus of community health nursing is health promotion. Community health nurses provide care necessary to meet the requirements of an individual all throughout the life cycle. Knowledge on different fields (biological and social sciences, clinical nursing, and community health organizations) is used

PRINCIPLES OF CHN:
CHN is based on recognized needs of individuals, families, groups and communities. The CHNurse must understand fully the objectives and policies of the agency she represents. Community health nursing must be available to all regardless of race, creed, and socioeconomic status. The CHNurse makes use of available health resources. The CHNurse utilizes the already existing active organized groups in the community. There must be provision for educative supervision in CHN. There should be accurate recording and reporting in CHN.