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Windshield Survey and Reflection

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Windshield Survey Summary and Reflection
Mary Lou Lamer
NUR/405
January 25, 2013
Dawn Warner

Windshield Survey Summary and Reflection
Introduction
“Although it is necessary to identify health risk factors among individuals and groups in the community, it is of paramount importance that nurses learn to identify and work with health problems of a defined population or the total community”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 395). The “windshield survey” is one method that the nurse can use to collect data about a particular community, however, understanding the meaning of community, community health, community as a client, and partnership, as they relay to nursing in the public setting, is important to successful data assessment.
Community
“Community is a locality – based entity, composed of systems of formal organizations reflecting society’s institutions, informal groups, and aggregates”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 398). There are varying definitions of the meaning of community. Those within a community usually share some type of common interest. There may be different types of communities; some examples of these communities are, face –to-face community, neighborhood community, community of identifiable need, and community of special interest.
Community Health
“Community Health is the meeting of collective needs by identifying problems and managing behaviors within the community itself and between the community and the larger society”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 401). “Community health consists of three characteristics: status, structure, and process”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 400). These characteristics reveal statistical, socio economical and epidemiological data and/or indicators of health risk or incidence of the community being assessed.
Community as Client
“The community is the client only when the nursing focus is on the collective or common good of the population instead of on individual health”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 399). “The community client also highlights the complexity of the change process. Change for the benefit of the community client must often occur at several levels, ranging from the individual to society as a whole”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 399-400). “Viewing the community as a client and thus as the target of service means a commitment to two key concepts: (1) community health and (2) partnership for community health”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 400).
Partnerships
“Partnership means the active participation and involvement of the community or its representatives in healthy change (O’Donnell, 2009)”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 403). Community partnerships between lay community members who have a vested interest in the efforts to improve the health of their community and the health professionals build healthy communities. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). “Nurses must focus on where and how health professionals and the lay community can work together on an equal power basis. This requires equally respected inputs and voices that are equally heard”. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg. 404).
Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicator
Tobacco use among adults is one of many so important Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicator. As indicated by the windshield survey completed on Bowling Green, Missouri, tobacco use is seen among not only the adults in the community, but the young adults. “Tobacco causes cancer, heart disease, and lung disease”. (HealthyPeople, (2012). Healthy People 2020 have worked to provide evidence based programs, products, and tactics that can help to stop the use of tobacco. The public health nurse could utilize much of this evidence based information to communicate and teach the people of Bowling Green, Missouri in an effort to work toward a healthier community.
Conclusion/Reflection
The windshield survey was time consuming, but focused on areas of the community that were not necessarily an interest or concern to me as a lay person. The town of Bowling Green, Missouri is beautiful, small, and quiet. The people are nice and helpful. The community in general is situated with several nice attributes such as a park to walk in and a town square to visit. For a small town there is cultural diversity seen with the moderate amount of African American population, Hispanic, Asian, and Caucasian. Overall cleanliness of the community does not seem to be a problem. Three aspects of the community that could affect residents’ health are (1) the amount of people living at or below poverty level, (2) large amount of tobacco use seen by adults and young adults, and (3) limited local health facilities/physicians. Bowling Green, Missouri may benefit from some interventions in public nursing.

Service Centers
Local police station, post office, and the county court office all sit in the town square. The County Sheriff’s Department and Jail, The Ambulance Dept., The Social Services Department, and the small airport are located on the north edge of town. The Health Department is located on the south end of town. There is a physician office, dental office, and eye doctor located in town as well. The closest hospital is approximately 9 miles away. The main employers in the community are the two local prisons (one male prison and one female prison).

Open Space
There is one moderately sized park that is in the middle of town. It has a walking trail, play ground, a pond, and 3 ball fields. It is well maintained. There is one small park with benches for picnics on the south side of town. It is fairly maintained.

Stores and Street People
There are two grocery stores in town and one meat locker. They are easily accessible by car, bicycle, or foot. There are 3 sit down restaurants. There are several fast food restaurants. There are 5 gas stations. The town square has the court house located in the middle and several specialty shops, a pharmacy, and a bank surrounding it.
There are various people walking or riding bikes. They are appropriately dressed.
Since Bowling Green is a small rural community, it is obvious to distinguish who works on a farm by the type of clothing and boots they wear and by the trucks they drive. Prison employees wear their uniforms as they come and go to work. A large amount of the population travel at least one hour to work to a larger city where there is more opportunity for employment.

Race and ethnicity
Mainly Caucasian. There are a fair amount of African Americans. Hispanic residents own and operate a local restaurant. There are the Amish who come to town to sell their goods. There is one family of Asians who own and operate a restaurant.

Transportation
Transportation is mainly by private car, truck, or SUV. The Amish travel by horse and buggy. The roads are in fairly good condition and there is a highway that runs along the east side of town. There are sidewalks in town.

Housing and Zoning
Homes in the inner city are mostly detached single family dwellings built from the 1960’s & 1970’s and made of masonite/fiber siding and some updated vinyl siding. Some of these are not well maintained. Homes in the suburban areas were built in the 1990’s to present and are brick ranch style. They are well maintained. All homes have plumbing, electricity, various types of heating and cooling. There is a trailer park that is not well maintained. There is a large complex of low income duplex’s that are well maintained. There is a mentally impaired housing facility located on the West side of town. Bowling Green is a large farming community so there are large farms on the out skirts of town. Amongst the farming community is the Amish community. The Amish community has very similar two story, white wood siding homes with no electricity and no plumbing. The Amish have out houses.

Windshield Survey
Windshield Survey
Media
There are three small news papers in the community to obtain information from. Face book is the largest media used in this community. It can be utilized via smart phone, computer, or any internet accessible device. Satellite TV is the most observed way to watch TV. Dishes are mounted on or near every home or business it appears. People even get their internet by satellite.

Commons
The ball park located in the town park is a common meeting area in the summer for the youth in the evening. There are a few local bars located in the town square for socialization. Churches hold various activities. There is one restaurant and one gas station that the locals meet at for coffee in the mornings to discuss things around the community.

Signs of Decay
This town is a small town. The less fortunate and lower income families occupy the center of town. These homes are not as well maintained. There are also stores and government businesses that are located in town. As you travel out of town the homes and yards seem to become better maintained. The schools, churches, health departments are well maintained.

Religion and Politics
Mostly Baptist churches in the area, although there are Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Church of Nazarene. The Amish practice their own religious ceremonies in their communities. Area claims to be Democratic, but with the times changing more Republicans are taking office in the area.

Boundaries
The boundaries of the town are surrounded by farm fields of corn, soy beans, wheat, or hay. The highway is the eastern boundary of town.

Health and morbidity
Three of the most commonly observed health disparities in this community are: (1) Obesity (2) obese middle aged people and young adults smoking, and (3) alcohol consumption. This can be seen as the people within the community walk in and out of the gas stations or maneuver in and out of Wal-Mart on the motorized carts. It can also be seen as they walk around town.

References
Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J. (2012). Public Health Nursing Population – Centered Healthcare in the Community (8thed.). Maryland Heights, Mo. Elsevier.
Healthy People 2020. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov

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