Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing group impacting the demographic changes in Nebraska. However, primary care services customized to Hispanics are not available in the state. Community health nurses created a model of community assessments as requisite to designing a primary health nursing care program (PHCNS) tailored to Hispanics. The model involves a two-fold assessment schema to produce community mapping. Neighborhood tracking and differentiation of diverse Spanish-speaking subgroups are achieved via quantitative analyses and determination of needs-based services via qualitative analyses. Quantitative data from direct community contacts and neighborhood informant-tracking methods captured environmental data, health status indicators for risk identification from county and state datafiles. Social forces impacting the community were identified via data collection from schools (enrollment and English as Second Language (ESL) courses), meat-packing industry (Hispanic employment, insurance coverage and occupational health resources for physical examinations and reducing repetitive motion injuries), and churches (marriages, baptismals, newborns, deaths and social services) that have not been quantified nor applied to new health service programs. The Geographic Information System (GIS) software program was used to produce community mapping previously unavailable. Quantitative indicators were delineated via focus groups specific to descriptors of the people's needs, characteristics and cultural beliefs. Identification of cultural competent nursing care were elicited, specifically Hispanic preference for use of cultural scripts such as Familia and Empathetico, and working with community networks especially a woman's leadership group known as Latinas Unitas.
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Minority Health, Community Health Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.