Report on Progress of Professional Portfolio

IDENTIFY
COMPETENCY
NUMBER, LETTER
AND SUBCATEGORY

DESCRIBE ONE
SIGNIFICANT
LEARNING
EXPERIENCE IN THIS
COURSE RELATED TO
THE CLPNA
COMPETENCY.
PROVIDE AN
EXAMPLE

R-1-4 Demonstrate knowledge of social determinants of health

and how they impact individuals, groups and communities.

One significant learning experience was a community theory

discussion about vulnerable populations ie) the homeless population.
In this class we watched a video segment that portrayed the life
experience of a family of a single mother, with 2 children and a
group of children. This video allowed individuals to openly share
their experience of living on the streets. This relates to the
competency number R 1-4, as it shows gives us an insight of how
social determinants relates to individual and population health.

Income and social class is the most influential health determinants.

Without a source of income it makes it hard to afford food, clothing,
a home, and access health resources (medication, chiropractor,
physiotherapist). Without income it makes it very difficult to
practice healthy living. Economic factors help you with basic
necessities but it also affects other health determinants such as
education, health resources, physical environments, healthy child
development, social environment and employment. Homeless
families, and individuals have a hard time maintaining and making
healthy lifestyle choices because they cannot think further than
trying to find a shelter, and food for the day. They can only fixate
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU
LEARNED AND HOW
their focus on things that will help them survive for that day.
IT RELATES TO THE
COMPETENCY.
EXPLAIN WHY IT
WAS MEANINGFUL.

Children who are on the streets, those who are still going to school
they may travel long distance to get to school. They also do not get a
good night sleep, as they are sleeping on cots placed on the floor
accompanied by other families or individuals. The children who are
living in shelters usually do not have time to play. These children
will suffer from poor healthy child development, which will affect
brain development, school readiness, and health later in life.
When dealing with patients from these vulnerable populations, nursing
interventions must be appropriate to the population. A nurse may
need to look at affordable resources, government resources, help a
family, or individual to find a shelter. Although as a nurse working
with these populations may be frustrating it is important to provide
care without judgment.

USE THE
PROFICIENCY
CATEGORIES TO

RATE YOUR
PROFICIENCY IN THE
CHOSEN CLPNA
COMPETENCY.
EXPLAIN WHAT WAS
DONE TO ACHIEVE
THE COMPETENCY.

DESCRIBE HOW YOU

WILL APPLY THIS
LEARNING IN YOUR
CURRENT AND
FUTURE NURSING
PRACTICE

Good:understands competency in theory and in scenarios and nursing

practice
ThereasonwhyIchosegoodtoratethisproficiencyisbecauseIhave
agoodunderstandingofhowthehealthdeterminantscanaffect
someoneshealth,mostimportantlyincomeandsocialstatus.I
achievedthiscompetencybylearningthehealthdeterminantsandthe
affectsofindividualshealthwhohavedisparities.Throughinclass
discussion,andreadingIwasabletoachievethiscompetency.

Each client that I receive I will be assessing their health, by looking at

their physical, social, economic factors. This will determine what
nursing interventions needed to help my client. This helps my nursing
intervention as it provides a holistic approach when taking care of a
patient. To truly help an individual you do not just treat the problem
but you must look at the factors in their life affecting that problem.
This type of nursing strategy involves upstream thinking, which will
benefit an individual or population if appropriate interventions are
taken. This will include providing clients with education about their
health, and teach them how to take care of themselves. With the help
of external resources, and active participation with the clients and
myself I will be able to help improve their health.

Student Name: Mikelle Champagne

Course: NFDN 2006 Community Health
Date: 29 January 2016
Instructor/Tutor: Allison McFadden-Squire