The role of the community health nurse is to provide both health care and health promotion for a specific population. They can work directly with individuals and their families, or they can work on a larger scale and focus on the community, or a group within their community. (Green, 2018) To be effective, community health nurses must first identify health needs, risks, and disparities for their given population. Next, they must identify resources that will help community members improve and support their health. Lastly, they must connect their population with said resources in order to both educate and empower their population to take an active role in their own healthcare picture. (Green, 2018)
According to Green (2018), “Health promotion and education can be enhanced through partnerships with community stakeholders such as local businesses, schools, faith-based organizations, and health care providers.” (Green, 2018) By partnering with stakeholders in the community, the community health nurse can learn more about the needs of the population. This inside information can be pivotal in the creation of the plan of care. Stakeholders also have a vested interest in the community and may be able to contribute to helping the population meet their healthcare needs. (Green, 2018)