Essay NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

NR443/435/436: Community Windshield Survey Form 

Directions: Please refer to the Community Windshield Survey Guidelines and grading rubric in your NR443/435/436 course for specific instructions in order to complete the information below. You are required to use this form for your submission.

Drive through the community where you live or work several times. Document your observations in order to complete the tables below. 

Name:

Date: March 16, 2018

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

1.Community Description

Name of city or town and state: Bronx, NY

Name of the street or road where you live or work in this community:  Eastchester Road

Nature of this community (rural, suburban, urban): Urban

Briefly describe your community: My work community is an urban setting that is constantly busy and noisy.  It is surrounded by many healthcare offices, hospitals, super markets, fast food restaurants, and schools.  It is a high traffic area, there are people constantly around.  There are bus stops and a train station near by so the area is easily accessible.

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

2.Community Vitality

Question	Many	Some	Few or None
Did the people you observed during your drive though appear healthy?	☐	☒	☐
Did you see people with obvious physical disabilities, such as those using walkers or wheelchairs?	☐	☒	☐
Did you see those with apparent mental or emotional disabilities?	☐	☐	☒
Did you observe people smoking tobacco products?	☒	☐	☐
Did you observe people who appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol?	☐	☐	☒
Did you see pregnant women?	☐	☐	☒
Did you see pregnant adolescents?	☐	☐	☒
Did you see young women or men with strollers or young children?	☒	☐	☐
Answer the following questions using complete sentences.
What was the approximate age range of the people you saw:  Youngest ___infants_____ Oldest__70-80
Describe the general appearance of those you observed (thin, obese, fit, undernourished, etc.):There were a wide range of sizes but mainly over weight to obese people.
Describe the dress of those you observed (unkempt, torn, appropriate, well-dressed, etc.):Many of the people were dressed for work so they were well- dressed.  Others were in scrubs since they work in the area hospitals and offices.  The rest were dressed appropriate for the cold weather.
Briefly describe what the people you observed were doing (driving, exercising, socializing, etc.):  It looked like many of them were walking to get something to eat on their lunch break.  Some were in groups walking and talking.  A group of people were waiting for the bus at the bus stop.  There was also heavy street traffic.  Drivers were honking their horns at the car in front of them for not moving fast enough when the light turned green.  A few angry drivers.

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

3. Indicators of Social and Economic Conditions

Question	Many	Some	Few or none
Did you observe housing that was run down or dilapidated?	☐	☐	☒
Were any areas undergoing renewal?	☐	☒	☐
Was public housing observed?	☐	☐	☒
Was there public transit?	☒	☐	☐
Were there bus stops?	☒	☐	☐
Was transportation to health care resources observed?	☒	☐	☐
Were there job opportunities nearby, such as factories, small businesses, or military installations?	☒	☐	☐
Were there unemployed people visible, such as homeless people?	☐	☐	☒
Did you see people congregating in groups on the street?	☐	☐	☒
Did you note any seasonal workers, such as migrant or day laborers?	☐	☒	☐
Did you observe any children or adolescents out of school during the typical school hours?	☐	☐	☒
Did you observe any political signs?	☐	☐	☒
Do you see any evidence of health education on billboards, advertisements, or signs?	☐	☐	☒
Answer the following questions using complete sentences.
What kinds of housing did you observe (detached homes, apartments, etc.)?There are a few apartment buildings in the area.  Some are luxury apartments which are mainly occupied by residents from the nearby medical offices.
Describe the general condition of the housing you observed: The buildings are clean and in good condition.  The lawns are properly kept, and the streets are clear of any garbage.
Describe the forms of transportation you saw people:  There are cars, buses, train stations, and cabs being used for transportation.  One man was riding a bike.
Describe the main types of work you observed that were available to residents?  There are a lot of health care facilities so there are a many health care and office jobs available.  There are a lot of fast food places available for employment.
What kinds of schools and day care centers were observed? There is an elementary school and a college.  I did not see any day cares in the area.

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

4. Health Resources

Essay NR 504 Week 3 Reflective Essay

Complete the table below with approximate numbers of health resources you observed when you drove through your community.

Health Resource	Number observed	Health Resources	Number observed
Hospitals	2	Urgent Care Clinics	2
Community Clinics	20+	Skilled nursing facilities	1
Family Planning Clinics	2	Mental health or counselling clinics	1
Generalist Doctors	5	Homeless or Abuse Shelters	0
Dentist offices	2	Public Health Department Office	0
Pharmacies	2	Substance Abuse Treatment Center	1
Answer the following questions using complete sentences.
If some of the above health resources were not observed, approximately how far away would a person need to travel to find these resources?
Do these resources seem sufficient to address the kinds of problems that exist in this community?  Yes, there are medical clinics and hospitals available for the community 24 hours a day.  There is a clinic for every health care issue so the community does not have to travel far for any service.

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

5. Environmental Conditions Related to Health

Question	Many	Some	Few or none
Did you see evidence of anything that might make you suspicious of ground, water, or air pollutants?	☒	☐	☐
Did you observe poor road conditions with potholes, or poor drainage?	☒	☐	☐
Are there adequate traffic lights, signs, sidewalks, and curbs?	☒	☐	☐
Are railroad crossings fitted with warnings and barriers? Are streets and parking lots well lit?	☒	☐	☐
Was there handicapped access to buildings, sidewalks, and streets?	☒	☐	☐
Did you observe recreational facilities, playgrounds, and/or facilities like the YMCA?	☐	☐	☒
Were recreational facilities being used?	☐	☐	☒
Were children playing in the streets, alleys, yards, or parks?	☐	☐	☒
Did you see any restaurants?	☒	☐	☐
Was there any evidence of nuisances such as ants, flies, mosquitoes, or rodents, or stray animals observed?	☐	☐	☒

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

6. Social Functioning

Question	Many	Some	Few or none
Did you observe any group efforts in the neighborhood to improve the living conditions or the neighborhood?	☐	☒	☐
How many churches, synagogues, and other places of worship did you observe?	☐	☐	☒
Answer the following questions using complete sentences.
Describe the general types of churches, synagogues, and other places of worship you observed.There are no places of worship in the community but there is a church in the next community that is easily accessible by car or bus.
Describe interactions observed among family or friends during survey. Is more than one generation present? People were just walking by talking.  There were mainly adults, 20-50 years old, dressed for work.  The co-workers looked very friendly as they went out to lunch together.
Were children out playing and if so, were they appropriately supervised? None
Were there any identifiable subgroups either of people socially or geographically? There were a lot of Hispanic people but there was a diverse group of ethnicities from African American to Caucasian.
Describe evidence of community cohesiveness that you observed (such as signs of a neighborhood watch or other social events or clubs). I have not seen any social events or a neighborhood watch.
Describe any observations that made you suspicious of social problems, such as graffiti, evidence of gang activity, juvenile delinquency, or drug or alcohol abuse?There is a methadone clinic nearby, so the patients hang around the Subways restaurant where they come hangout at sometimes.  They do not bother anyone they just socialize amongst themselves.

7. Attitudes toward Health and Healthcare.

Question	Many	Some	Few or none
Did you observe any evidence of folk medicine practice, such as alternative medicine practices, botanicals, or herbal medicine shops?	☐	☐	☒
Did you observe that health resources were underutilized?	☐	☐	☒
Was there evidence of preventive or wellness care?	☒	☐	☐
Did you observe any efforts to improve the neighborhood’s health such as advertisements for health-related events, health fares, clinics, or lectures?	☒	☐	☐

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

8.Aggregates or Vulnerable Populations Observed.

Which aggregates or vulnerable groups did you observe during your survey? (Click all that you saw.)
☒ Infants and Children	☒ Pregnant women or adolescents
☒ Adolescents	☐ Recent immigrants
☒ Seniors	☐ Migrant Workers
☐ Those living in poverty	☐ Those affected by mental illness
☐ Those who are homeless	☒ Disadvantaged ethnic groups
Answer the following question using complete sentences.
Thoroughly describe what you observed about one aggregate or vulnerable group that you identified above (i.e. gender, behavior, age, appearance, etc.):  There was a young Hispanic pregnant woman, maybe between 20-25 years old, pushing a stroller with a toddler in it.  She appeared to be well-dressed and healthy looking.  She may have been in the area for an appointment.   She seemed in good spirits as she walked from the bus stop.  Her daughter in the stroller seemed happy and healthy as well as she held on to her toy looking at her surroundings.

9.Health Problems and Health Behaviors Observed

Answer the following questions using complete sentences.

Describe positive health behaviors that you observed during your survey:   I seen a guy use a bike for transportation.  It’s a great exercise and good for the environment.

Describe unhealthy behaviors that you observed during your survey: Many people were smoking.  Some of those who were smoking were health care workers.

Describe health problems you observed during your survey or potential health problems that you would anticipate based on your observations: Obesity seemed to be very prevalent in the community.  Which is not surprising given all the fast food restaurants in the area.  There are healthy options, but the fast food is quicker and cheaper, so they are more inclined to eat there.

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

10.Health Problem and Healthy People (HP) Objective

Identify one Priority Community Health Problem Diagnosis (other than the problem listed in the example in the Guidelines):	Nutrition and weight status
HP Objective Number (other than FP-8.1)	NWS-10
HP Objective for the number you listed.	Reduce the proportion of adult who are obese

11.Summary of Learning

Reflect on the experience of completing this windshield survey and summarize what you learned that might impact your current or future nursing practice. This could be something unexpected or surprising that you did not notice before.

What I learned from this observation is that so many people in this community are overweight.  I never really noticed how many people were obese.  We don’t have that many affordable healthy food options around, so it is easy to make the wrong choices.  There are about two restaurants that sell healthy options but most of the community or on a budget and would rather go to Mc. Donald’s or subways for a good deal.  There is a gym near the hospital, so people do have the option to exercise.  It’s an affordable gym that offers great classes and has a pool.  But like myself, people can’t seem to find the time to go or they are too tired after work to go the gym.  Even if they can’t make it to the gym they can walk around the neighborhood for exercise.

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

12. Optional Community Picture

Insert one or two pictures that you took during your survey that demonstrates some of your findings. Avoid close up pictures of individuals. You may need to resize the photo so that it fits on the page (search the Web for tips). If your document has difficulty loading in Canvas, remove the picture(s) and resave the document and then try loading it again without the picture(s).

Picture 1

Picture 2

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey

References

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2019). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Healthy People 2020. (2018). Objectives. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/

NR 447 Week 2 Community Windshield Survey