BSN 4010 Assessment 1 Windshield Survey
BSN 4010 Assessment 1 Windshield Survey
BSN 4010 Assessment 1 Windshield Survey
Assessment
1
Preparation
Over the past few years, leadership for the health care
organization for which you work has noticed a distinct change in the population
served by the organization. Leadership wants to make sure they are addressing
the needs of this population. You have been asked to participate on an
interdisciplinary team that is charged with learning how the population has
changed and what needs to be done within the organization to develop a wellness
education program that will target the needs and concerns of the population.
Your first step in this process is to conduct a windshield survey and report your
findings back to your team.
A windshield survey is an inexpensive, time-efficient way to
assess and better understand a community and the people who live within that community.
Understanding the demographics of a community will help you determine the
health-related issues that are likely to exist so you can plan the most
appropriate types of wellness programs, health education, and disease
prevention programs. Windshield surveys are done by making visual observations
of a neighborhood or community while driving; hence the name. This type of
survey lets you observe the housing conditions, use of open spaces, shopping,
schools, types of transportation, human services, protective services, and
other aspects of the overall daily life of a community.
Before you start, you need to identify the boundaries of the
neighborhood or community you plan to observe. For the purposes of this course,
you should keep the size of the area to no more than 2–3 square miles. The area
should be large enough for you to gather relevant information, but small enough
that your observation does not take you more than 1–2 hours. With this size, it
is not necessary to use a car to complete the survey; you can also walk or
bike. Whichever method you use, be mindful of your personal safety. It may be
helpful to map out the route you will take ahead of time. It can also be
helpful (and safer) to have another person do the driving while you observe and
make notes.
Once you are on the route, start making observations right
away. Stop frequently to write down notes. A template is provided in the
Required Resources to help you document your observations.
The timing of your observation can be important in helping
you focus on specific items. If possible, consider conducting your survey more
than once at different times of the day. For example, if you make your
observations too early in the morning, you may miss things that take place
later in the day that provide a different perspective of the neighborhood. It
is also important to be as objective as possible when making your observations.
Requirements
Conduct the windshield survey, using the template located in
the Required Resources for this assessment.
Use the template as a guide to write a report for your team.
If possible, look at other written documents used within your organization. How
are they formatted? Follow that format as closely as possible, making sure you
still use APA guidelines for your in-text references, citations, and reference
page.
Based on your observations and notes from your survey
experience, write a report that includes the following:
Describe, briefly, the neighborhood or community you
observed (overall condition, types of spaces and businesses, evidence of
services, and so forth).
Describe a vulnerable or diverse population you observed
living within the neighborhood or community.
Now you will need to do some research on the population you
described:
Explain how the demographics for the population have changed
over the past 5–10 years. Note: This information should be readily available
through the United States Census Bureau, similar state Web sites, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, or other professional sites. Be sure your information is
current.
Describe the most prevalent health risks for the population.
For example, if your population is senior citizens, then the health risks might
be diabetes and loss of mobility. Include statistics on the health risks, such
as frequency of occurrence in the population and number of deaths per year in
the population.
Identify the health disparities and social determinants of
health that can affect the population. In other words, what will you need to
overcome to develop a successful health promotion and disease prevention
program for the population?
Your completed assessment should be 3–5 pages in length, not
including the title page and reference page. Support your information with
references to at least three professional, scholarly, or government resources,
and follow current APA guidelines for your in-text citations and references.