Windshield Survey

A windshield survey is an assessment and evaluation of a community performed by traveling throughout the community in a car or public transportation to make observations about a community. The data gathered will help identify health care strengths and weaknesses in the specified community. A community is a social group established by geographic boundaries or common values and interests. Its members know and interact with one another and function in a particular social structure and exhibit and create norms, values and, social institutions (Stanhope, 2008).

Community health has three mutual traits, or aspects: status, structure, and process. Community health in terms of status or outcome, is the most familiar and received approach; it involves biological, emotional, and social parts (Stanhope, 2008). The biological or living part of community health is often measured by established morbidity and mortality rates, life expectancy indexes, and risk factor profiles. The emotional part of health status can be measured by consumer satisfaction and mental health indexes. Crime rates and functional levels refl ect the social part of community health.

Other status measures, such as worker absenteeism and infant mortality rates, reflect the effects of all three parts. Community health, when perceived as the structure of the community, is commonly explained in terms of services and resources. Measures of community structure incorporate demographics, such as socioeconomic and racial distributions, age, and educational level. (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2008) The community is the client only when the nursing emphasis is on the common good of the population instead of on an individual’s health.

When focusing on the community as client, direct clinical care can be a part of population focused community health practice. This type of care decreases the risk of an epidemic in the community. The community client also highlights the complexity of the change process. Implementing changes which, will improve the community client often occur at a number of levels, extending from the individual to society (Stanhope, 2008). Healthy People 2020 maintains tradition with the launch on December 2, 2010 of it’s 10-year agenda for improving the Nation’s health. Healthy People 2020, 2011) A society in which all people live long, healthy lives is the mission statement of Healthy People 2020. (Healthy People 2020, 2011) A health indicator that applies to my specialty area is substance abuse. Substance abuse produces control on an individuals life and creates havoc among the families and communities. The effects of substance abuse are increasing, drastically contributing to costly social, physical, mental, and public health problems(Healthy People 2020, 2011).

According to Healthy People 2020, (2011) some problems include:teenage pregnancy, Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), domestic violence, child abuse, motor vehicle crashes, physical violence, crime, homicide, and suicide. A role nursing would perform in affecting this indicator would be education in the community. Adolescent abuse of prescription drugs, such as prescription pain relievers Vicodin and OxyContin, has remains on the rise and continues to devastate lives and families involved (NIDA InfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction, 2011).

The accessibility of prescription drugs is growing from several places, including the family medicine cabinet, the Internet, and doctors. Drug addiction is a needless disease. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs including families, schools, communities, and the media are successful in decreasing drug abuse. Although countless events and cultural influences affect drug abuse trends, when youths sense drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking. NIDA InfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction, 2011) Education and outreach programs are essential in assisting communities to understand the risks of drug abuse. This is a Windshield Survey of Philadelphia, PA, 19154 completed on June 16, 2010. The information collected in this survey displayed basic ideas about this community and identified needs for a certain population in the community. Housing and zoning- The homes and buildings were builtafter 1950. The homes and buildings are constructed from brick, vinyl siding and are a mix of row and single homes and the homes are in excellent condition.

These homes vary in size and land. | Transportation- The most common means of transportation 19154. area include driving a car alone, carpooling and public transportation SEPTA(Southeastern Public Transportation Authority)During observations in the community, many bus stops werehad 6-8 people waiting. Somewere in their school uniforms, some work attire, and others were casually dressed. Theconditions of the roads need minor repairs most are newly paved. | Race and ethnicity- The chief ethnic group in the 19154 is a heavily populated, urban zip code in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The population is largely white, and mostly married couples.

Total Population: 35,606 White Population: 31,896 Black Population: 1,678 Hipic Population: 1,030 Asian Population: 812 Hawaiian Population: 13 Indian Population: 48 Male Population: 17,313 Female Population: 18,293 Median Age: 36. 2 Median Age of Males: 34. 9 Median Age of Females: 37. 6. (Neighiborhood Link National Network, 2011) . | Open space- There is not much open space, but the areas around the Dunksferry Rd and Academy and Knights roads are designated for the athletic teams and school sports. | Service centers-19154 has several service centers. On Southampton Rd there is the VA. Community Center, S. P. I.

N. (Special People in the Northeast, mentally challenged individuals), W. I. C. offices and Social Security center. There are many schools, High school, grade school (public and Catholic) and headstart programs in our community. Also off Academy Rd. there is a health center and a dental facility. There are 3 major hospitals and several medical facilities in the community. | Religion and politics- In our community the primary religion is Catholic with a mix of protestant and Jewish. The primary party is republican. | Boundaries- The geographical boundaries for 19154 include Interstate I-95, Route 1 and the PA Turnpike.

The income is middle class. The estimatedmedian income is $60,000 per year. Theneighborhoods are named and identified by street names. Some of theneighborhoods include Parkwood, Liberty Bell, Chalfont, Comly, Somerton, Morrell Park and Bustleton. | Stores and street people-Major stores in the community are Kohl’s, Target, and Wal-Mart, many grocery stores such as, Pathmark, Reddners and Acme Markets. There is not any type of street people as in homeless in the community. The community is primarily devised of law enforcement, fire fighters, teachers and healthcare providers. Health and morbidity-Substance abuse is increasing by our youth and adults in this community. There are no obvious drug dealings going on in the community but, there are dealers. Observations made were several people smoking on the bus stops, very young looking, and other smokers of appropriate age. There are several fast food restaurants in the area as well as finer restaurants, which may have resulted in the large number of people living in this area living with cardiac issues. Other observations made were the adolescents in the streets during school hours and some looking as if they were under the influence. Commons-In 19154 there are several churches, the park and recreational facilities restaurants and clubs. off Southampton Rdis the Community College of Philadelphia and off Street Rd there a several tech schoolsLocal eateries such as Chickie & Pete’s. Chili’s. Carraba’s, Outback Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, Friendly’s, Applebee’s, Nifty fifties and TGI Fridays. There are a number of fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger Kingwhere many people like to hang out. There is also a few -11, Wawa and playgrounds that teens usually hang out. These gathering areas are easily identified by signs.

They are open to everyone and usually people with the same interests gather in these areas. | Signs of decay- There are no evident signs of decay, although at some playgrounds there were several graffiti tags on the buildings. | Media- The local newspaper is the Philadelphia Inquirer and the community newspaper is The Northeast Times. The TV news stations are ABC 6, Eyewitness News and NBC 10 news. The internet is a source of the major attributes of the media and the common providers are Verizon and Comcast and the cable providers are Comcast, Verizon Fios, The Dish and DIRECTV. References: (2011). Retrieved June 18, 2011, from Neighiborhood Link National Network: http://www. neighborhoodlink. com/zip/19154 Healthy People 2020. (2011, February 22). Retrieved June 18, 2011, from Healthy People: http://www. healthypeople. gov/2020/about/default. aspx NIDA InfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction. (2011, March). Retrieved June 18, 2011, from National Institute of Drug Abuse: http://www. drugabuse. gov/infofacts/understand. html Stanhope, M. L. (2008). Public Health Nursing. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.