-Chapter 1 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING: CONTEXT AND PRACTICE Rosalinda G. Cruz-Earnshaw Commuui l')' healtl1 1mrsing (CHN) is one of tl1e two majo1· fields of nursing in tl1e Philippines; Lbe other is hospital 1rnrsing. Some people use the terms commu nity hcaltli nursing aml public health nursing intercha ngeably. However. the former is broadi::r th:m Lhe latter; it inc:ludes public hea]th nursing, occupational health nursing and sd1uul uursing. COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING Clark defines community health nursing tis a "synthesis of nursing knowledge and practice and the science and practi c. :e of public health, implemented via a systemalic use of the nursing process am) ol. hm· p1·ocess,es lo promote health aml prevent illness in populatinn groups~ (;mo8:5). The other processes isiduui. : management, supervision, rescan:h. advocacy and polilic. 11 action. Annex Al. pn?sents a model of communit y beallh nursing practice \>vhich illustrates the relationsh ip betv. reeo nursing l)ractice as sc. ic. ncc and art, core community J1ealtb fm,ctions and essential communil y hea. 1tl1 services. The follm\ing st,itements characterize CHN: (1) Promotion of health and prevention of dise;. 1sc are the goals of professional praclice: (2) Community health nursing practice is comprehensive, general. continual anti not episodic;; (3) There are different levels of clienlcle--individ1wls. families and popufation groups and the practitioner 1·eco~nb:es Lhc primacy of the population as a whole; (4) The nurse and the client have gre. iter control in making dccisio11s related to health care and they collaborate as equals; (5) The nurse recognizes the impact of different factors on health and has a gn:ater awaren. e..<;s of bis/her clients' lives and situations (Clark. 2008: 10-13). CHN is t·he tot11lity nf its philosophy and beliefs, principles, processes and standards. As one of the subsystems, it influences and is influenced by the health care. delivery system. CHN is practiced within a specific econornk, political, socio-cultura l and erwironmc ntal conlext. The roles and functions of CHNs directly contribute to the health of their clients. ·n1e essence of nursing is the same even if practiced in different settings. Nursing is defined as the science and 11rt of caring. N11rsing as an art is reflected in the nurses' interactions and comm11nica\ion \-. ;th clients thatnre geared Inwards tl1e improvement not j11st of their health hut ;1lso their ability l<> deal with the determinant s and consequences o{ their health problems. According to Parse, the responsibil ity of nursing to society is to guide individaals and 16 