A geopolitical place is an area defined by natural boundaries such as hills, climate, and rivers or manmade boundaries such as rural municipalities or city communities. These boundaries can be easily identified in a map and guide resource allocation by the government as well as the provision of important services such as healthcare (Dahl & Clancy, 2015). A geopolitical place influences community assessments by determining what geographical area that a community assessment should focus. This is because a community within the same geographical area faces similar health risk factors and challenges due to a shared environment as well as similar risk factors (Dahl & Clancy, 2015). On the other hand, a phenomenological place is an area having people with shared or similar values, interests, or goals. This may include religious groups, social, academic, or professional groups (Dahl & Clancy, 2015).
A phenomenological area has a population with similar characteristics and needs that may influence decision-making in the implementation of health are interventions. Defining the community is an important process in health assessment that directs healthcare stakeholders in developing community health improvement plans by determining available community resources to address the community’s health needs (Dahl & Clancy, 2015). The nursing process is utilized to assist in identifying health issues and in creating an appropriate intervention for community through a collaborative approach where community stakeholders are involved in planning and decision-making process (Grand Canyon University, 2018).
This enables a community health nurse to identify community needs and available resources that can be used to achieve the desired healthcare goals. Another way that the nursing process can be utilized is through health education where collaborating with community stakeholders helps nurses to tailor health education programs to address specific needs of a community (Grand Canyon University, 2018). This leads to a successful health education process where community members implement preventive health interventions such as screening to diagnose illnesses early. ReferencesDahl, B. M., & Clancy, A. (2015). Meanings of Knowledge and Identity in Public Health Nursing in a Time of Transition: Interpretations of Public Health Nurses’ Narratives. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 29(4), 679-687. doi: 10.1111/scs.12196. Epub 2015 Feb 24.Grand Canyon University. (2018). Community and Public Health: The Future of Health Care. Grand Canyon University.