What is the primary goal of Community Health Nursing (CHN)?

The primary goal of Community Health Nursing (CHN) is to improve the health of populations through preventive measures and health education. This focus is essential because CHN aims to address health issues at the community level rather than solely treating individual patients. By emphasizing preventive care, health education, and community engagement, CHN seeks to reduce health disparities, promote wellness, and empower individuals and communities to take charge of their health.

This approach recognizes that many health problems are rooted in social determinants and environmental factors. Therefore, CHN practitioners work to implement strategies that encourage healthy behaviors, increase access to resources, and educate communities about health risks and prevention strategies. In doing so, they help to build healthier communities and ultimately reduce the burden of disease.

While providing individual patient care, conducting medical research, and developing healthcare policies are all important aspects of healthcare, they do not encapsulate the core objective of Community Health Nursing, which is fundamentally about population health and preventive strategies.