What is the community health nursing assessment for the NYC,
Washington Heights community in relation to their homeless mentally
ill persons, as considered a community within the larger community?
And
What would be the community health nurse intervention

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Request for Question Clarification by kyrie26-ga on 07 Sep 2002 16:30 PDT

Hi macho2-ga,

Could you please define what you mean by "assessment"? Would this be
more qualitative or more quantitative?

Also, the second part of your question "What would be the community
health nurse intervention" seems incomplete. Can you please rephrase
the question?


Thanks in advance,

kyrie26-ga

Hi macho2-ga,

The community health nursing assessment is an initiative being
undertaken by the NYS Psychiatric Institute Department of Nursing, so
I will give you some background on the organization before delving
into the nursing assessment. The purpose of this is so that you will
be able to see the motivation behind this initiative.

MISSION STATEMENT

"The NYS Psychiatric Institute Department of Nursing's mission
includes clinical care, research, and education of trainees.
Departmental clinicians strive to provide the highest quality
care/treatments in the least restrictive environment possible, to
generate/support/participate in research protocols, and to train a new
generation of healthcare providers in both traditional and newer
therapies. Health promotion, maintenance, and rehabilitation are
viewed as essential in meeting the needs of patients, their families,
and significant others. Interactive education of recipients is
incorporated throughout all phases of contact. "

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING ASSESSMENT

This is actually an application of the more general process used by
registered nurses (RNs) to treat patient located in "inpatient units ­
Schizophrenic Research, General Clinical Research, and Washington
Heights Community Service ­ provide round-the-clock care. Nursing
services are also provided in the Child and Adolescent Day Program, as
well as in the outpatient units of the Washington Heights Community
Service, i.e., Inwood and Audubon Clinics."

Purpose: The process described above utilizes a document (the Nursing
Assessment) which is meant to optimize the treatment of a wide range
of psychiatric patients.

Explanation of the process surrounding the assessment documentation:

"During the Nursing Assessment Process, specific questions have been
formulated which trigger the practitioner's generating and completing
a specific Pain Assessment Form. This information is in turn discussed
with physicians and other members of the team, so that symptoms can be
targeted, controlled, and, as much as possible, eliminated. It is of
course imperative that medical illnesses with associated painful
symptoms be treated. Pain affects one's well-being by causing
psychological distress in the form of anxiety, depression,
restlessness, insomnia, agitation, or other distressing consequences.
In addition to medications, other complementary treatments may be
utilized and consultation is sought from those in other specialties."

http://nypisys.cpmc.columbia.edu/AR2000/Clinical%20Department%20&%20RSS/Nursing.html

IMPLICATIONS ON HOMELESS MENTALLY ILL PERSONS

1. Symptoms displayed are more effectively targeted and controlled
2. More useful documentation for use in the future (medical history).
This includes the Nursing Assessment Document and the Pain Assessment
Form.
3. Focus on painful symptoms..leads to reduced psychological distress
4. Utilization of a group of physicians of various specialties in
order to gain several different viewpoints and make a more informed
decision regarding treatment. This leads to more accurate treatment.


If you require further information, I suggest contacting the NYSPI
Department of Nursing. They operate in the following locations:

The Washington Heights Community Service of
NY  State Psychiatric Institute 
1051 Riverside Drive 
New York, NY  10032 
212-543-5412 

Audubon Avenue Clinic 
513 West 166th Street,
4th Floor 
New York, NY 10032 
212-928-8300 

Inwood Mental Health Center
26 Sherman Avenue 
New York, NY 10040 
212-942-8500 

http://www.columbia.edu/~fc15/

Regarding the community health nurse's intervention, there is really
no specific "intervention" as such. Rather, the community health nurse
plays an integral role in executing the Nursing Assessment Process.
The goals and benefits listed above are applied to both inpatient and
outpatient environments and can serve homeless mentally ill persons
who meet the following requirements:
1. Client must be 18 years of age or older 
2. Client must be a Washington Heights/Inwood resident living north of
155th Street and south of 225th Street.

It is explicitly stated that the ability to pay for services does NOT
determine who receives care, and there is no waiting list.

http://www.columbia.edu/~fc15/

If you have any problems understanding the information above please
post a clarification and I will respond in a timely manner.

Cheers!

answerguru-ga

Insufficient answer to my question.  I know what a nursing diagnosis ,
assesment and intervention are.  I asked for a specific Dx and
intervention for a specific communinty with a specific problem
homeless persons who are mentally impaired. FYI Dx is Maintenance
Altered, related to homelessness and mental illnes.