Introduction
It should be noted that the role of the community health nurse (CHN) in Canada is multifaceted and complex. CHNs contribute to the enhancement of the population’s well-being in multiple ways and take on various responsibilities to be able to address the essential needs of people. CHNs in Canada act as leaders of changes, and they are empowered to execute autonomy. The purpose of this paper is the review and discuss the different roles of community health nurses in Canada.
General Description
Importantly, CHNs do not only support the health of residents in general, but they also are held responsible for the prevention of injuries, disorders, and illnesses. Apart from that, they take an active part in health promotion and raising health literacy among different population groups. Notably, the roles of CHNs are always shifting to address the current healthcare requirements (Leeseberg Stamler, 2015). In particular, at present, community nurses should furnish care to all the residents including minors, seniors, and street people. To be able to function effectively, the specialists in Canada should be knowledgeable of the ways to apply the nursing process. It includes such essential skills as judgment, accountability, and action. More importantly, all the CHNs are required to keep themselves informed of the updated approaches and methodologies to furnish care within the current epidemiological principles.
Key Nursing Roles
The first role of CHNs in Canada is health promotion. It implies the participation of nurses in raising health literacy among different population groups. In addition, specialists should promote health through community-based action and active collaboration with the residents. It also involves the active engagement of nurses in eliminating health inequalities to furnish care to all population groups including sensitive ones. Notably, all of the practices should rely on the socio-economic and other determinants of health that are characteristic of the community (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec, & Pike-MacDonald, 2016). Further on, CHNs are responsible for encouraging and supporting policy changes aimed at health improvement. In terms of particular actions, nurses should work and cooperate closely with families and educational institutions to propagate a healthier lifestyle, nutrition, and practices.
The second nursing role is illness and injury prevention. It implies the participation of healthcare specialists in the obviation of infectious disease outbreaks and the use of effective and feasible strategies to diminish the emergence of such conditions. In addition, nurses should assist individuals in the adoption of healthier and safer practices to minimize the emergence of injuries, disorders, and diseases (Leeseberg Stamler, 2015). The third important part is health protection. It means that CHNs need to cooperate with various agencies to ensure safe food and water, and clean air. Moreover, this role includes the protection of population groups from environmental threats.
The fourth role is participation in the surveillance of health. In Canada, nurses have to mobilize networks to keep track of health and disease patterns and to take part in the prediction of dangerous outbreaks or occurrences that might threaten the well-being of residents. The fifth role is the health assessment, which means that CHNs should be actively engaged in the continuous evaluation of the population’s health status and to promote policy changes in accordance with the current setting (Stanhope et al., 2016). The sixth role is emergency preparedness. It implies the readiness of nurses to act effectively in public health emergency situations and plan the response if needed. Overall, CHNs should be active participants in all the health-related practices in the community.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that community health nurses in Canada have to take on many roles and responsibilities. They should be aware of all the main tendencies in their community and implement such interventions that would address the healthcare needs of people. CHNs are the key element in the well-being of people; therefore, the nurses are empowered and given the authority to support and improve residents’ health status.
References
Leeseberg Stamler, L. (2015). Community health nursing: A Canadian perspective. Toronto, Canada: Pearson.
Stanhope, M., Lancaster, J., Jakubec, S., & Pike-MacDonald, S. (2016). Community health nursing in Canada. Toronto, Canada: Elsevier.