In most cases, the community-based nursing target the vulnerable populations and the most disadvantaged members of the community, including the homeless, orphans, the frail elderly, sedentary individuals, teen mothers, smokers, and those at high risk of contracting specific illnesses (Hunt, 2009).
The community health care nurses have a duty to care and partner with the community at home setting. In an outside hospital setting, individuals have more control over their lifestyles and behavior in regards to the plan of care. Individuals have the freedom to follow special diets or not, adhere to medical instructions or exercise regiments. Hence, community health nurses offer important advice to individuals through health promotion programs that stress on the need to adapt the desirable care plan. In community-based nursing, care is more holistic, as the nursing interventions can focus on individuals, specific families, groups or the community as a whole (Lundy & Janes, 2003). Similarly, the CHNs have outstanding skills and abilities in incorporating individual's personal beliefs and lifestyles, and integrating them in the nursing practice. Furthermore, they are highly skilled in providing care for their clients whose primary focus is the management of illness or wellness issues that may include nutrition, stress management, sexuality, exercise, family development tasks, and care for the aged (Reed & Shearer, 2011).
Community-Based Nursing Setting.
Community-based nursing practice involves different types of settings, depending on the clients they serve. Home healthcare is one of the most popular settings for the CHNs, where nursing services are provided in the homes of the clients or the assisted living environment. Homebound clients may have divergent health care needs such as recovering from surgery, chronic condition, or have a recently diagnosed illness. Some of the homebound clients may be exceedingly incapacitated by the disease, debilitated by the age factor, or even in death beds.