Collaboration Between Communities and Universities: Completion of a Community Needs Assessment

Abstract

Health care reform can provide opportunities for collaboration between universities and the public at large. An advanced community nursing class within a post-RN program at a university combined resources with a nearby rural community to complete a community health and social needs assessment. The partners in the project included the local hospital, health unit, and the university; funding was secured from the Regional Center for Health Promotion and Community Studies and the two health agency partners also made a financial donation. Community liaisons who were both registered nurses and residents of the community, we instrumental in completing tasks and activities related to the project. The students were taught the various data collection methods and participated in class assignments refining the necessary skills required for the actual assessment. This project benefited the community by providing baseline health status and social needs data in an era of dramatic health care reform while simultaneously affording undergraduate nursing students the opportunity to apply theory to practice.

Community-oriented medical education in Glasgow: developing a community diagnosis exercise

“…In Alberta, advanced community nursing classes routinely complete a community health and social needs assessment. This was thought to benefit the community by providing baseline health status and social needs data in a time of dramatic health care reform, while simultaneously providing practical experience to the undergraduate students working as team members 16 . In Brazil, the similar Programme UNI succeeded in explicitly linking university, local health system and community 13 .…”

“…One possible approach, emphasizing patient participation and active learning 12 , is to engage students in community diagnosis , a local assessment of health and health care needs. Successful medical education exercises in community settings have been described in Brazil 13 and Canada 14 –16 . Such exercises often employ the rapid participatory appraisal (RPA) approach.…”

Strengthening primary health care: building the capacity of rural communities to access health funding

“…universities, such as the completion of a community needs assessment, has been shown to be mutually beneficial. 15 While the Centre is not funded as a University Department of Rural Health (UDRH), it is clear that UDRH's can be effective partners in rural health education, training and research. 16 Some challenges remain for the funded communities.…”

Strengthening Primary Health Care: Building the Capacity of Rural Communities to Access Health Funding

“…Collaboration between communities and universities, such as the completion of a community needs assessment, has been shown to be mutually beneficial. 15 While the Centre is not funded as a University Department of Rural Health (UDRH), it is clear that UDRHs can be effective partners in rural health education, training and research. 16 Some challenges remain for the funded communities.…”