COMMUNITY-HEALTH PROMOTION NURSING PRACTICE

Evolving definitions of community and health promotion require the exa mination of community nursing practice. This article critically explor es how the meanings of community may influence community nursing pract ice. In nursing, the most common definitions of community are of commu nity as context/resource and community as client. The authors postulat e that these definitions of community influence the nature of communit y practice. Moreover, if nurses are to practice within the context of health promotion, focusing on community as a relational experience, ne w patterns of community health promotion practice will need to emerge. This pattern of practice must honor people's experiences of community including power relations present in community. A new pattern of comm unity health promotion nursing practice encompasses the four component s of listening and critical reflection; participatory dialogue and cri tical questioning; pattern emergence and recognition; and movement to action.