NURS-FPX4500 Assessment 1: Comprehensive Community Health Promotion Plan

Course

NURS-FPX4500: Practicing in the Community to Improve Population Health (BSN-level community and public health nursing).

Overview

In this first assessment, you develop a written health promotion plan for a specific individual, family, or priority group in the community who is at risk for a clearly defined health concern. You will analyze the concern using current evidence and local population health data, identify social and environmental factors that shape risk, and propose realistic promotion goals and strategies that reflect community resources and nursing scope. This plan becomes the foundation for subsequent course assessments that further explore community partnerships and evaluation of outcomes.

Assessment Type and Length

• Individual written assessment (academic paper, APA style).

• 3–4 pages (approximately 900–1,200 words), excluding title page and reference list.

• Double-spaced.

Assignment Instructions

Write a 3–4 page paper that analyzes a priority health concern for a selected community individual, family, or group and presents a targeted health promotion plan tailored to that context. Your plan should include a brief description of the person or group, an analysis of the health concern and contributing factors, clearly stated health goals, and evidence-informed strategies that are feasible in real community settings. Use current scholarly and professional sources and follow current APA style.

Required Paper Sections

1. Community Context and Client Description

• Identify the community setting and describe its relevant characteristics.

• Describe the individual, family, or group in general, non-identifiable terms.

• Explain why this client or group is appropriate for a community health promotion plan.

2. Analysis of the Priority Health Concern

• State the specific health concern being addressed.

• Analyze the concern using current evidence and population health data.

• Discuss relevant social determinants of health.

• Identify assumptions or uncertainties that may affect planning.

3. Importance of the Health Concern for the Selected Population

• Explain why the concern is particularly important for the chosen client or group.

• Connect the concern to broader community and public health goals.

• Highlight potential impacts on daily functioning and long-term outcomes.

4. Health Promotion Goals (Collaboratively Framed)

• Describe how goals would be negotiated collaboratively.

• State two to three specific, measurable, and realistic health promotion goals.

• Explain alignment with clinical or public health guidelines.

5. Evidence-Informed Health Promotion Strategies

• Describe nursing-led strategies to support goal achievement.

• Explain the evidence base supporting these strategies.

• Address cultural, literacy, language, and logistical considerations.

• Identify relevant community resources and programs.

6. Evaluation and Follow-Up

• Describe how progress toward goals will be evaluated.

• Explain how barriers or limited progress will be addressed.

• Discuss reinforcement of strengths and incremental success.

7. Conclusion

• Summarize the main components of the health promotion plan.

• Reinforce how the plan reflects core principles of community and population health nursing.

Assessment Criteria (Scoring Rubric)

Criterion 1: Analyze the Health Concern for the Selected Client or Group (25%)

• Distinguished: Evidence-informed analysis integrating epidemiology, risk factors, and social determinants.

• Proficient: Appropriate explanation with supporting evidence.

• Basic: General description with limited evidence.

• Below Basic: Poorly defined or unsupported concern.

Criterion 2: Explain the Importance of the Concern for Health Promotion (20%)

• Distinguished: Clear linkage between individual impact and public health goals.

• Proficient: Explains importance with some broader context.

• Basic: Limited explanation.

• Below Basic: Importance unclear.

Criterion 3: Establish Collaborative, Measurable Health Goals (20%)

• Distinguished: Client-centered, measurable, culturally appropriate goals.

• Proficient: Mostly measurable and appropriate goals.

• Basic: Vague or broad goals.

• Below Basic: Goals absent or unrealistic.

Criterion 4: Propose Evidence-Informed, Contextually Appropriate Strategies (25%)

• Distinguished: Feasible, evidence-based strategies tailored to context.

• Proficient: Appropriate strategies with some contextualization.

• Basic: General strategies with limited evidence.

• Below Basic: Impractical or poorly aligned strategies.

Criterion 5: Scholarly Writing, Organization, and APA Style (10%)

• Distinguished: Clear organization and accurate APA style.

• Proficient: Minor APA or stylistic issues.

• Basic: Noticeable APA or organization problems.

• Below Basic: Weak clarity and APA compliance.

An adult living in a low-income urban neighborhood who has a strong family history of type 2 diabetes but limited access to fresh food faces multiple risks that make prevention both urgent and challenging. A community-based health promotion plan that emphasizes small, achievable dietary changes, regular walking in safe public spaces, and connection to local faith-based or peer programs can reduce risk while respecting financial and cultural realities. Evidence indicates that lifestyle interventions rooted in community settings can significantly lower progression to type 2 diabetes when education, activity goals, and ongoing support are combined (Knowler et al., 2002).

Community health promotion is most effective when it addresses upstream social determinants of health alongside individual behavior change. Nurses play a critical role in linking clients to community-clinical resources, advocating for equitable access to services, and tailoring interventions to local contexts. Programs that integrate health education with social support and accessible community resources are more likely to achieve sustainable improvements in population health outcomes (Artiga & Hinton, 2018).

References

1. Artiga, S., & Hinton, E. (2018). Beyond health care: The role of social determinants in promoting health and health equity. Kaiser Family Foundation.
   https://www.kff.org/report-section/beyond-health-care-the-role-of-social-determinants-in-promoting-health-and-health-equity-issue-brief/

2. Golden, S. D., & Earp, J. A. L. (2012). Social ecological approaches to individuals and their contexts. Health Education & Behavior, 39(3), 364–372.
   https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198111418634

3. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2022). Community-clinical linkages for the prevention and control of chronic diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/community-clinical-links.htm

4. World Health Organization. (2021). Guideline on integrated care for older people (ICOPE).
   https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/344221

5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Healthy People 2030.
   https://health.gov/healthypeople

6. Knowler, W. C., Barrett-Connor, E., Fowler, S. E., et al. (2002). Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. New England Journal of Medicine, 346(6), 393–403.
   https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa012512