It All Starts Here: Merging the Role of Nursing Education and Community-Based Heath Promotion

Abstract Many communit ies continue to have high levels of morb idity and mortality and co mmunity-based health promotion is recognized as one of the most important factors in pro mot ing positive health outcomes. Nurses remain one of the primary resources for the delivery of co mmun ity-based health but the manner in wh ich nurses are educated about community-based health greatly influences their ability to deliver culturally appropriate and socially responsible care. Globally, nurses are one of the primary sources for guidance, education, and support. Communities rely on the profession to not only deliver culturally appropriate, quality, safe, and effective nursing care; but to work together with the co mmunity to develop solutions to various health problems. Nursing education is responsible for educating new nurses on these concepts, but lack of practical educational opportunities can impact a student's understanding of community-health concepts. Students are potentially unprepared and unable to support positive health outcomes for populations with the greatest need. Presented here is a review of the role of nursing education in preparing prelicensure nurses, the responsibility of the profession for co mmunity health pro motion, the barriers reported by local nursing schools, and possible recommendations to improve the efforts of co mmunity-based health promotion