202 Chapter 8 PLANNING FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING PROGRAMS · AND SERVICES Luz Barbara P. Dones INTRODUCTION Planniogandimplementationofhea]t. hse1vicesandprogramsforgroups,populations and communities involve the application of the nursing process based on participatory community de,·elopment model. Since a lot of factors in the external environment need to be considered by the nurse, planning for nursing programs and services generally becomes more complex. Factors that may affect the planning process include existing health policies and legislation, level of technology in the area, econom ic resources and presence of programs and institutions tlrnt are supportive. or that may conf1ict with proposed programs. la addition, the nurse,vill find herself,vorking with other members of the health team or,,ith other sectors that may have different orientati on or strate. gies in terms of,ie"ing solutions to co JUJJ1unity J3ealth problems. The most important challenge to the nurse however, remains that of generating and sustaining the community's sense of ownership and commitment to health programs and services that address their needs and problem s. WHAT IS PLANNING? Planning has been defined in many ways by maoy authors. What is common about these definitions is that planning is a process, normally, future steps to be undertaken in order to achieve a desired end. This implies that the planner assesses the nature and ex1:eot of the problems as well as constraints and limitations t J3at may affect planning decisi on. s. In general, pl anni ng. i s done in our desire to source out and allocate resoa rces to improve the present state of affairs. Mercado (1993) summarizes the concepts of planning as follows: 1. Planning is futuristic. 2. Planning is change-oriented. 3. Plannin g is a continuous and dynamic process. 4. Planning is flexible. 5. Plann. ing is a systematic process. In community health nursing, ilie nurse pursues the objective of enhancing wellness and improving the health status and quality of life of the people. She does this by applying the nursing process in providing solutions to identified cornn1lmity health problems and needs. 