Epidemiology in Community

Epidemiology in Community Health Care

Case Study

Chapter 7

Epidemiology in Community Health Care The community health nurse is reviewing several epidemiologic research studies with student nurses that are beginning a 6-month community health rotation. Epidemiology offers community health nurses a specific methodology for assessing the health of aggregates. The nurse has requested that the student participate in a semester long epidemiologic research study

1. Why is it important that community health nurses review epidemiologic research?

2. What are the seven steps that student nurses must consider when participating with the community health nurse in the epidemiologic research study?

3. The goals of epidemiologic investigation are to identify the causal mechanisms of health and illness states and to develop measures for preventing illness and promoting health. Epidemiologists employ an investigative process that involves a sequence of three approaches that build on one another. What are the three investigate approaches?

4. The community health nurse has been requested to figure out the prevalence rate and the incidence rate of influenza for a 1-month period of time. There were 1,000 students who reported flu-like symptoms during 1 month in a population of 5,000 students at the local community college, and during the same month, 500 individuals developed influenza. What is the prevalence rate and incidence rate?