Community Assessment Windshield Survey Nursing Essay
Community Assessment Windshield Survey Nursing Essay
Community Health Nursing Assessment: Windshield Survey
NURS 4440 Windshield Survey Tool
For Community Health Nurses to be able to knowledgeably plan services for a community, it isessential to know a specific community, identify health-related resources that may be helpful tomembers, and learn about gaps in services. A windshield survey is conducted from a car and provides a visual overview of a community. Conditions and trends in the community that couldaffect the health of the population are noted. This data provides background and context for working in the community or for conducting a community assessment. The clinical instructor will make specific assignments for the Survey. Information gathered from this survey is to beincorporated in the group’s wiki for the Community Assessment Project.
Stores
What stores (grocery,retail, drug, dry cleaning, etc.) are in thearea? How do residents travel to them?
Transportation
How do most people get around the area? Isthere public transportation? If so what kindand does it appear to be used? Who uses it?What is the condition of the streets, roads,highways?
Communication
Is there evidence of local and nationalnewspapers to other media? Are thereinformational posters on streets, busses, billboards, etc.?
Service Centers
Where are the services for the community located – health care, social services, schools,employment offices etc.?
Stores
Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Bottom Groceries, and Walmart Super Center. Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Medi-Cap Residents travel to these sites via privately owned vehicles. There are many small privately owned businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants and consignment shops that are found in the historical downtown district. Other areas have franchises such as blockbuster, Applebees, Walmart, etc.
Transportation
People get around by privately owned vehicles.There is no public transportation at this time.There are signs posted of upcoming publictransportation labeled ‘Park & Ride TransitStation’. Newly developed areas and mainhighways are well maintained. In the historic district there are roads that need improvements.In the rural areas there are some roads that arenot paved. Community Assessment Windshield Survey Nursing Essay
Communication
The local newspaper is called The Tribune.There are billboards in the newer developedareas and there are some posters on the sides of the streets in the historic area to provideadvertisement.
Service Centers Community Assessment Windshield Survey
There is one main hospital in the south-westernregion of Mooresville. Lake Norman RegionalMedical Center is surrounded by severalmedical buildings. There are a few family practice offices noted in different areas of thisregion. The county social services office islocated in Statesville, NC. The schools arespread throughout Mooresville. There are 2districts; Mooresville Graded School Districtand Iredell Statesville School System. Itappears the employment offices are locatedwith Social Services for Iredell County.3
People in the Community
Who is in the area during the day? How arethey dressed? Are there animals (pets) withthem or in the area? is thereof particular. “classes” of people – upper,middle, working, lower?
Industries
What are the major industries? Whattypes of occupations are evident?
Protective Services
Where are fire and police stations located? Isthere evidence of police and fire protection inthe area? Is it more in one region than another? Community Assessment Windshield Survey Nursing Essay
People in the Community
In the historic area we saw a woman openingher shop by putting a sign out on the side walk.We saw to older men sitting on a bench onMain Street drinking coffee. There weren’t alot of people walking down the streets as themain source of transportation is by car. Thefew we did see walking appeared to be poorlydressed and not very well groomed. Bylooking at the people we saw in the historicarea we assume by the way they were dressedthat they were middle-lower class. Other evidence we noted were the cars. Differentlocations had different cars of values from lowto high.
Industries
The historic part of Mooresville is built aroundan old shut down mill. There are other factories and run down mills noted throughoutthe area. NASCAR seems to play a large partin the newer developing Mooresville. Thereare many companies related to race car drivingfound in the city. The top three companieswith the highest amount of employees areLowes Headquarters, Lake Norman RegionalMedical Center, and Walmart Super Center.We did note there are quite a bit of autodealership and auto body shops. Also notedthere are numerous banks, gas stations andshops.
Protective Services Community Assessment Windshield Survey Nursing Essay
There are 4 fire stations equally distributedthrough the city. We saw one fire station, one police station and did note police patrollingthroughout the city.4
Ethnicity
What is the predominant ethnic group? Arethere residents from a variety of ethnic backgrounds or is the community mostly onegroup? Which one? Are there stores,restaurants, churches, schools, or languagesthat indicate a particular ethnic group(s)? Community Assessment Windshield Survey
Religion
What churches and church-run schools arein the area? Who apparently uses them andwhen? How many are there
Health and Morbidity
Is there evidence of any health problemssuch as drug abuse, communicablediseases, chronic diseases, mental illnessesetc.? Community Assessment Windshield Survey Nursing Essay
Politics
Is there evidence of any political activity? Arethere any signs that indicate predominant political parties and political concerns?
Ethnicity
On observation, we mainly noted Caucasianethnicity. Census reports:Population 18,823White – 15, 129Black – 2,653Hispanic – 480Asian 312Other 249There are no observed stores, restaurants or languages that indicate a particular ethnicgroup.
Religion
Observed a lot of churches throughout thisregion. Over 50 Christian churches varying of different protestants. According to researchapproximately 50% of Mooresville’s population are a member of a religious sector.
Health and Morbidity
Per county report, the top 3 health relatedissues in Iredell County are obesity, heartdisease and lung cancer.
Politics
No evidence noted of current politicalactivities. This region is predominatelyrepublican.(Modified from Stanhope M., & Knollmueller, R. N. (1997). Public and community healthnurse’s consultant: A health promotion guide. St. Louis: Mosby.)5
