Assessment Task 2: Community Health Assessment – Windshield Survey

Course Details

Course Code: NURS 450

Course Title: Community Health Nursing

University: University of Texas at Arlington

Semester: Spring 2026

Level: Undergraduate (Year 3)

Assessment Weighting: 25%

Due Date: Week 5

Word Count: 1,000–1,500 words

Context

This assessment develops skills in community health nursing by using systematic observation to evaluate environmental, social, and health factors in a selected area. It aligns with AACN essentials and Healthy People 2030 objectives, promoting population-focused care. Students apply knowledge from lectures on epidemiology, social determinants, and public health to identify risks and resources in real or simulated communities, preparing for roles in preventive healthcare across diverse settings like urban clinics or rural outreach.

Task Description

Perform a windshield survey of a chosen community (real neighborhood or virtual like Sentinel City suburb). Document observations on physical environment, people, services, and signs of health issues. Analyze findings to identify key health concerns, link to global issues, and propose nursing interventions with evaluation methods.

Requirements

• Select a suburb or neighborhood; use driving, walking, or virtual tools like Google Maps for safety.
• Organize observations in a table covering boundaries, housing, open spaces, transportation, race/ethnicity, services, religion, signs of decay, media, and politics.
• Discuss a target population’s demographics, health status, and risks, incorporating at least one global health comparison.
• Apply two Healthy People 2030 objectives to address concerns.
• Include at least three peer-reviewed references; use APA 7th edition.
• Submit as Word document via LMS, with title page and references.

Marking Criteria/Rubric

1. Observations and Data Collection (30%): Comprehensive coverage of all categories; data is detailed, objective, and organized in table format.
2. Analysis of Health Concerns (25%): Identifies 2-3 key issues with links to demographics and global context; logical and evidence-based.
3. Interventions and Healthy People 2030 (20%): Proposes feasible nursing actions; aligns with objectives; includes evaluation plan.
4. Target Population Discussion (15%): Relevant data on vulnerabilities; discusses local vs. broader risks.
5. Academic Standards (10%): Clear writing, adheres to word count, proper APA with references.

Observations noted well-maintained housing in the suburban area with a mix of single-family homes and apartments showing signs of middle-income status. People visible included families walking dogs and children playing in parks, reflecting a diverse age range from young to elderly. Services encompassed a local clinic, grocery stores, and public transport stops, though limited mental health facilities raised concerns for access. Health indicators pointed to potential obesity risks from fast-food outlets outnumbering gyms. Interventions could involve community education on nutrition tied to Healthy People 2030 goals for physical activity. As detailed in Guin (2020), windshield surveys enable nurses to pinpoint environmental influences on health, fostering targeted interventions. Evaluation would track participation rates in programs over six months.

• References

1. Guin, N. (2020) ‘Windshield and walking surveys in community health nursing’, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 9(11), pp. 523-525. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21275/SR201022161001.
2. DeMarco, R. and Healey-Walsh, J. (2020) Community and public health nursing: evidence for practice. 3rd edn. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer. Available at: https://shop.lww.com/Community-and-Public-Health-Nursing/p/9781975137441.
3. Stanhope, M. and Lancaster, J. (2020) Public health nursing: population-centered health care in the community. 10th edn. St. Louis: Elsevier. Available at: https://www.elsevier.com/books/public-health-nursing/stanhope/978-0-323-58150-9.
4. Connor, L. et al. (2023) ‘Evidence-based practice improves patient outcomes and healthcare system return on investment: findings from a scoping review’, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 20(1), pp. 6-15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12621.

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