Die gemeenskapsverpleegkundige in perspektief

Abstract

Community nursing originated in the care given to families, mostly by the women, in primitive societies. The Christian religion had a marked influence on the development of community care with the deaconnesses being regarded as the first visiting nurses. Throughout the middle ages there were nursing orders who worked in the community but social reforms after the industrial revolution led to the emergence of secular district nursing services. The services rendered however tended to become specialised and thus fragmented. Community nursing today involves comprehensive family centered care to individuals and groups in the community by professionally qualified nurses. They work independently and are accountable for their own actions. The nature of the service rendered depends on the community being served. The population profile, disease profile and health care needs differ vastly between highly developed and developing communities. However, irrespective of the type of community being served the community nurse is a co-ordinator in the health team and must render a comprehensive and family-centred health service. Basic nursing education alone does not prepare the nurse adequately for the comprehensive community nursing task. It is suggested that community nursing for registration should be an option in the integrated basic nursing courses. Provision must be made for a program for registration for those who did not include community nursing in their basic course, and for advanced formal programs and informal continuing education programs in community nursing.