NURS 4010 – Family, Community, and Population-Based Care (Walden University)

Community Assessment Paper – Assessment 1 (2026)

Course and Assessment Positioning

Course: NURS 4010 – Family, Community, and Population-Based Care (Walden University, RN–BSN)
Assessment: Assessment 1 – Community Assessment Paper (individual written assignment)
Level: Upper-division undergraduate (BSN completion, community/public health focus)
Length: 4–5 page paper (approximately 1,200–1,500 words), excluding title page and references
Timing: Early–mid term (commonly Week 4–5 in term-based offerings)

The task mirrors established NURS 4010 community assessment paper expectations that require students to examine a real community, describe key health indicators, and connect findings to the role of the community or public health nurse.

Assignment Overview

You will conduct a structured community assessment of a geographically defined community, such as a neighborhood, town, or city district, and present your findings in a written paper. The assessment should integrate observational data, publicly available statistics, and course concepts related to community and population-based care.

Your analysis must go beyond simple description and demonstrate how social determinants, environmental factors, and community resources shape health outcomes, as well as how a community or public health nurse would prioritize needs and plan appropriate interventions.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Describe the health status, risks, and protective factors of a community using multiple data sources.

• Analyze social determinants of health and environmental influences on population health.

• Identify priority community health problems and justify them using evidence.

• Explain the role of the community or public health nurse in assessment, planning, and advocacy at the population level.

• Communicate findings in a clear, logically organized academic paper that meets BSN-level writing standards.

Task Instructions

1. Select and Define the Community

• Choose a specific geographic community that can be reasonably described using observation and publicly accessible data sources, such as a city ward, census tract, small town, or defined neighborhood.

• Clearly define community boundaries using streets, natural features, or administrative limits, and describe the approximate population size and key demographic characteristics, including age distribution, race or ethnicity, income, and education levels.

2. Collect Community Assessment Data

Gather data from at least two categories:

Observational data (windshield or walking survey):
Note housing conditions, land use, transportation, availability of healthy food options, presence of parks or recreational spaces, visible health-related resources such as clinics or pharmacies, and signs of environmental hazards or social concerns.

Secondary data:
Use credible public sources such as local health departments, the CDC, or city and county health profiles to obtain information on health indicators and social determinants, including leading causes of death, chronic disease prevalence, poverty, unemployment, and insurance coverage.

Keep raw data notes for your records and include only synthesized findings in the paper.

3. Describe the Community Profile (approximately 1.5–2 pages)

Organize this section into clear paragraphs addressing:

• Demographic and social characteristics: age distribution, cultural or ethnic composition, income and education patterns, and commonly spoken languages.

• Physical environment: housing quality, green spaces, transportation options, walkability, and environmental or industrial risks.

• Health resources: accessibility of clinics, hospitals, urgent care centers, dental and mental health services, pharmacies, and community centers.

• Community strengths: evidence of social cohesion, faith-based organizations, schools, social services, and other protective factors.

4. Analyze Community Health Status and Determinants (approximately 1.5–2 pages)

Using collected data and course concepts, analyze:

• Key health indicators: identify two to three major health issues or trends, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, substance use, injury, or maternal and infant health concerns.

• Social determinants of health: explain how factors such as income, education, employment, housing, food access, transportation, and social support influence community health outcomes.

• Disparities and vulnerable groups: identify populations at increased risk within the community, such as older adults living alone, migrant workers, or low-income families.

5. Identify Priority Community Health Problem(s)

Select one or two priority health problems and justify the selection by:

• Explaining why these problems warrant priority attention based on severity, prevalence, trends, impact on quality of life, and potential for improvement.

• Supporting the rationale with data and at least two current scholarly or public health sources.

6. Role of the Community or Public Health Nurse (approximately 1 page)

Discuss how a community or public health nurse would respond to the identified priority problem(s):

• Describe relevant nursing roles such as clinician, educator, advocate, case manager, or collaborator.

• Propose at least two realistic, evidence-informed community- or population-level interventions, such as screening programs, health promotion campaigns, partnerships with community organizations, or policy advocacy.

• Explain how these strategies align with core public health functions, including assessment, policy development, and assurance.

7. Conclusion

Briefly restate the most significant findings related to the community profile, the identified priority health problem(s), and the potential impact of nursing action at the community or population level.

Paper Requirements

• Length: 4–5 pages of narrative text (approximately 1,200–1,500 words), excluding title page and references.

• Format: Follow the program’s required academic style and formatting guidelines, using headings that reflect the major sections of the paper.

• Sources: Cite at least five current scholarly or credible public health sources published between 2018 and 2026.

• Academic integrity: Submit original work that reflects your own analysis and synthesis. Do not reuse papers, templates, or online examples.

• Submission: Upload the completed paper to the NURS 4010 Assessment 1 submission link by the due date listed in the course schedule.

Marking Criteria – Community Assessment Paper Rubric (2026)

Community Description and Data Use (20%)
Clear, well-structured description with effective integration of observational and secondary data.

Analysis of Health Status and Determinants (25%)
In-depth analysis linking health indicators and social determinants to community health outcomes and disparities.

Priority Health Problem Identification and Justification (20%)
Convincing identification and justification of one or two priority problems using current evidence.

Role of the Community or Public Health Nurse and Strategies (20%)
Clear articulation of nursing roles and feasible, evidence-based population-level strategies aligned with public health functions.

Organization, Scholarly Writing, and Use of Sources (15%)
Logical organization, academic tone, minimal errors, and appropriate use of at least five credible sources.

Public health nursing demonstrates its value most clearly when assessments move beyond listing available clinics and instead examine how housing, income, transportation, and social support interact to create patterns of risk and protection within a defined community. A strong community assessment paper for NURS 4010 not only summarizes demographics and disease rates but also illustrates how nurses can use this information to prioritize problems, build partnerships, and design feasible population-level interventions that promote equity in access to care (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020).

Community assessment also supports data-driven decision-making at the population level by enabling nurses to align local observations with national surveillance data. When community-level findings are compared with datasets such as PLACES or Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System indicators, nurses can validate observed trends, identify hidden disparities, and advocate more effectively for targeted prevention strategies and resource allocation. This integration strengthens both assessment accuracy and intervention planning, reinforcing the nurse’s role in advancing population health outcomes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).

References

• Stanhope, M. and Lancaster, J. (2020) Foundations for Population Health in Community/Public Health Nursing. 5th edn. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/C2018-0-00765-8

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022) PLACES: Local data for better health. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/places

• World Health Organization (2018) Technical Series on Primary Health Care: Community-based Health Care, Including Outreach and Campaigns. Geneva: WHO. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/326411

• Healthy People 2030 (2020) Social determinants of health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health

• Truglio-Londrigan, M. and Lewenson, S. B. (2018) Public Health Nursing: Practicing Population-Based Care. 3rd edn. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Overview. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss