What is the primary aim of community health nursing?

• A. To provide hospital-based acute care.
• B. To promote and protect the health of populations by delivering nursing care in home, clinic, school, and other community settings.
• C. To conduct laboratory research in public health.
• D. To focus solely on the care of individual patients in clinics.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that community health nursing focuses on the health of entire groups rather than just individual patients in a hospital. Its goal is to promote and protect the health of populations by delivering nursing care in places where people live, work, and learn—such as homes, clinics, schools, and community centers. This approach emphasizes prevention, health education, and early intervention to improve overall community well-being and reduce health disparities.

In contrast, hospital-based acute care centers on treatment and recovery of individuals within inpatient settings, which is not the primary aim of community health nursing. Working with people in the hospital or focusing only on individuals in clinics misses the broader goal of improving health outcomes at the community level and addressing factors that influence health beyond the bedside.