Re:Topic 1 DQ 1

My idea of a healthy community is one where there are low crime rates and good physical and emotional health. A healthy community should promote well-being of its inhabitants in various ways such as: strong social networks, clean water, pollution-free air, affordable quality healthcare, and
great schools. A healthy community is one that promotes well-being by encouraging its residents to screen for illnesses for prevention to avoid the burden of chronic disease. Education campaign should be organized to sensitize people about the most common illnesses and educate them on how to avoid them to achieve a better life. Resident should be aware of resources available to them in their community, allowing them to feel safe. In my opinion, there is a strong relationship between healthy people and strong communities.

A collaborative effort is needed to promote a healthy community. For example, I consider my community, Delta, British Columbia a fairly healthy community overall, compared to most. It has a
very low crime rate. Delta municipality offers very good services to the public regarding law enforcement, recreation, maintenance of public parks, recreation areas and centers. There is regular night patrolling of police in all areas. Public health services are extra ordinary in my community; community health nurses identify vulnerable people from infant to senior, do regular health
visits, follow- up regularly. Postnatal mothers and infants get very good services from public health nurses and pediatric nurses including the provision of lots of free resources, Families with kids get reminder mails and phone calls from community health nurses before the immunizations are due.
There has been an improvement in air quality since the ban of smoking in all public areas and tobacco free environment in schools colleges, and public places few years ago. The community offers a number of Public Health Centers, regional hospitals, great schools districts, public libraries, recreation centers, fire stations, and police stations at walking distance for residents of each community. There is also a variety of public parks, play ground and recreation areas accessible to the general public at no cost or a small fee. I believe in prevention and, in British Columbia and several agencies do a goodjob conducting campaigns raising awareness regarding air and water pollution throughout the year. Another excellent job is done by voluntary organizations in the maintenance of each and every street in the community. In schools teachers and children participate in various health programs with school nurses and public health nurses. Some of the topics for creating awareness among children are,

As a Community Health nurse, I would collaborate with others, to identify the obstacles or barriers in the community and work to reduce or erase them to achieve the target of healthy community. I would also network with community leaders, other public health nurses, volunteers, school nurses to promote health programs, initiate safety strategies, promote education, provide as many resources available for health promotion, initiate prevention strategies, provide health education to all age groups in the
community in order to reach the goal of a healthy community.