• Apply the nursing process and evidence-based practice to accurately assess family and community health systems across the lifespan.
• Apply systematic research practices to identify family and community health system needs.
• Discuss the multi-dimensional role of the community health nurse in risk reduction and health promotion
The Windshield Survey needs to be conducted in the same community where the Public Healthcare Agency you will be interviewing is located.
You may submit your data in an APA formatted paper, or you may elect to compose a PowerPoint presentation of your data and photos for submission. You may include photos, charts, or other items as needed.
This is an outline of how your assignment will be evaluated:
Description of the community 15%
Population Statistics 15%
Social and economic conditions 15%
Health data and resources 15%
Environmental conditions 15%
Social functioning 15%
APA, Grammar, spelling, organization, references, and creativity 10%
A Windshield Survey gives an objective overview of a community. Information obtained from this exercise can be used to identify a community’s strengths and weaknesses. These direct observations allow one to better understand the environment in which individuals live and interact. This information can help us better understand the health status of the individuals within the community and the community as a whole.
If the agency you have signed up for an interview with is not in your area, students may conduct the windshield survey using Google Maps or Google Earth to find out the information about the area. You may also find other helpful information online.
As part of the Windshield Survey of the community, you will need to gather some demographic information about this community. This information can be found online through city or county websites. Include the following information:
• Population statistics: Total population, broken out by age, race, and gender.
• Median information compared to the state, age, income, house values, and educational attainment.
• Health Data, mortality, morbidity, chronic diseases, prevalent diseases.
Data regarding communities can be found at the following sites:
• Healthy People 2030
• CDC
• National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)
• National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS)
• Neighborhood Scout
• County Health Rankings
• US Census Bureau, and the Quick Facts site that provides statistics for all states and counties with a population of 5,000 or more
• Maryland Department of Health Vital Statistics and Reports,
• National Vital Statistics System
• USA location Information (you will need to type in the name of the location in the search bar).You can also find information about the community regarding identified social problems.
This statistical data, along with the observational data from your windshield survey, will be needed as you construct your community health promotion plan.
Conducting the survey by Car (Optional): If the agency you are going to interview is in your area, you can also drive around a predetermined community (or have another drive while you take notes) and gather information about various aspects of the community.
You may use the Windshield Survey Tool found in the Week 2 Activities section for collecting your data. The survey tool provided is for recording your data during your survey. You should NOT submit the tool as the completed assignment. Please refer to the Practice Experience Guide for information on conducting the Windshield survey by car.
This activity aligns with:
Course Outcome AACN BSN Essential
1. Apply the nursing process and evidence-based practice to accurately assess family and community health systems across the lifespan.   Essential VII.5: Use evidence-based practices to guide health teaching, health counseling, screening, outreach, disease and outbreak investigation, referral, and follow-up throughout the lifespan.
Essential VIII.9: Recognize the impact of attitudes, values, and expectations on the care of the very young, frail older adults, and other vulnerable populations.
Essential IX.2: Recognize the relationship of genetics and genomics to health, prevention, screening, diagnostics, prognostics, selection of treatment, and monitoring of treatment effectiveness, using a constructed pedigree from collected family history information as well as standardized symbols and terminology.
Essential IX.11: Provide nursing care based on evidence that contributes to safe and high-quality patient outcomes within healthcare microsystems.
2. Apply systematic research practices to identify family and community health system needs.   Essential II.9: Apply quality improvement processes to effectively implement patient safety initiatives and monitor performance measures, including nurse-sensitive indicators in the microsystem of care.
4. Discuss the multi-dimensional role of the community health nurse in risk reduction and health promotion Essential VI.4: Contribute the unique nursing perspective to interprofessional teams to optimize patient outcomes.
Essential VIII.4: Demonstrate professionalism, including attention to appearance, demeanor, respect for self and others, and attention to professional boundaries with patients and families as well as among caregivers.
Essential IX.6: Implement patient and family care around the resolution of end of life and palliative care issues, such as symptom management, support of rituals, and respect for patient and family preferences.
Essential IX.20: Understand one’s role and participation in emergency preparedness and disaster response with an awareness of environmental factors and the risks they pose to self and patients.
Essential IX.22: Demonstrate tolerance for the ambiguity and unpredictability of the world and its effect on the healthcare system as related to nursing practice