Healthcare needs of selected community virtual windshield and environmental analysis

Health care must be evidence based, effective, efficient, and affordable. It must provide resources that meet the needs of the community as a whole. Nurse leaders must understand and thoroughly evaluate the environment to enable the efficient and equitable allocation of resources.

• What is a windshield survey? This is a method of gathering information about the status of a community either from a car or by foot. Conditions and trends in that community that could affect the health of the population are noted and the data provides context for making changes and/or improvements.
• What is an environmental analysis? This is an examination of the factors that can impact the health of a community, such as air quality, water quality, chemical and/or industrial waste.
• What are social determinants of health? These are included as a part of the environmental analysis. There are five domains: economic stability, education quality and accessibility, health care quality and accessibility, neighborhood and built environment (human-made surroundings such as parks, green space, buildings/infrastructure), and social and community context (types of settings in which people engage). [Resource: HealthyPeople2030].

This assessment provides an opportunity to examine the prevailing health conditions in a community by completing a virtual windshield survey and environmental analysis based on communities within the Vila Health System virtual simulation. Although Vila Health is a virtual lab, the communities represented in the simulation are real, enabling you to conduct an actual community health assessment.

Executive leaders at Vila Health have asked you to provide them with your assessment of the health conditions in one of the communities served by the Vila Health system. Knowing that a windshield survey is needed to validate any underlying assumptions about the needs of the community and inform evidence-based decision making and strategic planning, you have decided to conduct a firsthand exploration of the community, followed up by an environmental analysis. An environmental analysis examines the factors that can influence the performance of a health care organization, which is important in a rapidly changing health care environment.

To prepare for the assessment, you are encouraged to begin thinking about how an environmental analysis and windshield survey contribute to assessing community health care needs. In addition, you may wish to:

• Review the assessment requirements and scoring guide to ensure that you understand the work you will be asked to complete.
• Review Guiding Questions: Assessing Community Health Care Needs [DOCX] Download Guiding Questions: Assessing Community Health Care Needs [DOCX], which includes questions to consider and additional guidance on how to successfully complete the assessment.
• Review the Windshield Survey and Environmental Analysis Checklist [DOCX] Download Windshield Survey and Environmental Analysis Checklist [DOCX], which includes questions to consider and additional guidance on how to complete the windshield survey and environmental analysis.

Note: As you revise your writing, check out the resources listed on the Writing Center’s Writing Support page.

The following resource is required to complete the assessment.

• Vila Health: Environmental Analysis and Windshield Survey.

Vila Health is a virtual environment that simulates a real-world health care system. In the various Vila Health scenarios, you will apply professional strategies, practice skills, and build competencies that you can apply to your coursework and in your career. The information you gather in this scenario will help you to complete the assessment.

Templates

Use this template for your community health assessment.

• Community Health Assessment Template [DOCX] Download Community Health Assessment Template [DOCX].

Complete this assessment in two steps:

1. If you have not already done so, complete the Vila Health: Environmental Analysis and Windshield Survey simulation.
   • Review the “Vila Health: Environmental Analysis and Windshield Survey” resource to assist you to complete the assessment.
2. Write your community health assessment including your windshield survey, environmental analysis with social determinants of health, and your summary of findings for the Vila Health Executives.
3. Use Table 1 located in the assessment template to help you organize and document your findings. Include this as an appendix in your document.

The community health assessment requirements outlined below, correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide, so be sure to address each point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. The Guiding Questions: Assessing Community Health Care Needs document provides additional considerations that may be helpful in completing your assessment. In addition, be sure to note the requirements below for document format and length and for citing supporting evidence.

• Assess, via a windshield survey, the general condition and needs of a community from a public health perspective.
• Analyze the environmental factors affecting population health in a community.
• Identify the social determinants of health in a community.
• Summarize windshield survey and environmental analysis findings for executive leaders.
• Write clearly and concisely in a logically coherent and appropriate form and style.
• Support findings and conclusions with relevant and credible evidence.

Document Format and Length

• Use the Community Health Assessment Template [DOCX] Download Community Health Assessment Template [DOCX]. This APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] can help you in writing and formatting your assessment.
• The assessment report should be 4–5 pages in length not counting the cover and reference page.
• Be sure to apply correct APA formatting to all source citations and references.

Supporting Evidence

Cite 3–5 credible sources from peer-reviewed journals or professional industry publications to support your executive summary.

Proofread your executive summary before you submit it to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it difficult for them to focus on the substance of your assessment.

Portfolio Prompt: You may choose to save your community health assessment to your ePortfolio.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Identify the challenges and opportunities facing health care.
  • Assess, via a windshield survey, the general condition and needs of a community from a public health perspective.
  • Analyze the environmental factors affecting population health in a community.
  • Identify the social determinants of health in a community.
• Competency 4: Develop proactive strategies to change the culture of the organization by incorporating evidence-based practices.
  • Summarize windshield survey and environmental analysis findings for executive leaders.
• Competency 5: Communicate effectively with diverse audiences, in an appropriate form and style consistent with applicable organizational, professional, and scholarly standards.
  • Write clearly and concisely in a logically coherent and appropriate form and style.
  • Support assertions, arguments, propositions, and conclusions with relevant and credible evidence.