Duties and Responsibilities of Community Health Workers (CHWs)

Community-oriented practice is that type of care where the nurse provides health care after doing a community diagnosis to determine what conditions need to be altered so that families, individuals, and the groups in the community stay healthy.

Roles of Community Health Nurse:

The role of the community health nurse focuses on the prevention of illness, injury, or disability, the promotion of health, and the maintenance of healthy populations. While conducting day-to-day practice community health nurses wear many hats. Although performing traditional nursing skills (e.g. administering injections, taking vital signs, changing dressings) in the role of “direct care provider” is still an integral part of nursing practice, the importance of other roles is increasing.

1. Creating connections between vulnerable populations and healthcare systems,
2. Facilitating healthcare and social service system navigations,
3. Managing care and care transitions for vulnerable populations,
4. Determining eligibility and enrolling individuals into health insurance plans,
5. Assuring cultural talent among healthcare professionals serving vincible populations,
6. Educating stakeholders and health system providers about community health needs,
7. Providing culturally apposite health education on topics related to chronic disease prevention, physical activity, and nutrition,
8. Advocating for under-served individuals to receive appropriate services,
9. Collecting different data and relaying information to policymakers to inform policy change and development,
10. Providing informal counseling, health screenings, and referrals,
11. Building capacity to address health issues,
12. The specific role of community health worker (CHWs) in rural health programs is dependent on:

Service provided through the program:
It includes-

• Advocacy,
• Outreach,
• Education,
• Clinical services.

Required community health worker’s (CHW) skills:
It includes-

• Communication,
• Cultural competence,
• Training,
• Professional experiences,
• Education.

More questions related to this article:

1. What is meant by community-oriented practice?
2. What do you understand by community-oriented practice?
3. Describe the roles of community health workers (CHWs).
4. What is the work of a community health worker?
5. Describe the duties and responsibilities of community health workers (CHWs).
6. What are the key roles of a community health nurse?
7. Describe the duties and responsibilities of a community health nurse.
8. Who is a community health extension worker?
9. Describe the roles of the community health nurse.
10. What is the key role of a community health worker?
11. What is the role of a community health care worker?
12. What are the functions of community health extension workers?