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eFolio - Essential VII
provisions of a defined population; one of the directives of Essential VII (AACN, 2008). The
comprehensive nature of the project necessitated that I look at the selected community with
objectivity, without being critical or judgmental. In this role, it is essential that the public health
nurse not only remain objective and not impart her morals on a community but also encourage
the community to express its needs. There must be collaboration. Rather than using my own
priorities to formulate and rank the nursing diagnoses for the community, it was important that I
listen to the community, through the data that I collected, and base my diagnoses and
recommendation on what the community needed most.
Another very important aspect of nursing practice is to advocate for the client. In public
health nursing the client is a population as a whole rather than an individual. The public health
nurse is tasked with being an advocate for social justice, including a commitment to the health
of vulnerable populations and the elimination of health disparities (AACN, 2008, p. 25). As I
conducted the community assessment I found a number of vulnerabilities in the community.
This project served as a practical exercise in seeking out the vulnerable, formulating a plan, and
advocating for their needs.
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References