Community health center: Role of the nurse

A community health center is a healthcare facility where comprehensive healthcare services are publicly available to all members of the community it serves. As the nurse, you’ll provide patient-centered care for individuals and families in the community.

Now, the purpose of a community health center is to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to patients, by addressing their needs for acute and chronic conditions and increasing their ability to care for themselves.

These centers provide comprehensive healthcare, including medical, dental, and mental services, which are typically offered at either no cost or on a sliding scale, meaning fees are based on the patient's ability to pay.

Community health centers make healthcare more accessible for patients by being located in underserved areas in both rural and urban communities. Often, these centers are the initial contact with the healthcare system for members of the community. This is especially important for individuals facing barriers who are often at higher risk for developing health problems, such as those who are living in poverty or are without housing, as well as older adults, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people with mental illness or substance use disorders. Community health centers also play an important role in providing patients and their families with health education, which can empower them to care for themselves. Teaching can take place either individually or in group classes and can cover health promotion topics, such as the importance of vaccines, illness and injury prevention, and sexual health education.

Additionally, patients can receive individualized teaching related to their specific chronic conditions, like how to manage their diabetes or how to choose heart-healthy foods to help manage hypertension or hyperlipidemia.

When caring for your patients at the community health center, you’ll provide direct care and health education to individuals and families, using a broad understanding of illnesses and other conditions present within your community.

You’ll start by obtaining a medical and family history and performing a focused physical assessment to address the primary reason they came to the health center.
During your assessment, remember to keep the perspective of your patient in mind, and utilize principles of cultural humility to build rapport and effectively communicate with your patient.

These principles can include recognizing your own implicit biases, understanding cultural differences in how health and illness are perceived, and determining the role family plays in your patient’s healthcare.