Approved Topic List: Choosing Your Field Project Topic with a Primary Prevention Focus

Note: You may not log any work on your field project until you are enrolled in Community

Health and Population-Focused Nursing Field Experience/Community Health and Population-

Focused Nursing Clinical and have selected your topic.

What is a Primary Prevention?

The Community Health Nursing practicum requires a field project. The project focuses on

primary prevention. Primary prevention is the prevention of disease, injury, disability or

premature death before they occur.

First Steps in Choosing a Field Project Topic

First, consider what might be an issue of public health concern in your own community. The

pertinent questions to consider are:

 What is the biggest contributor to disease (morbidity) and premature death

(mortality) in your community?

 What are the controversial community health concerns discussed in your local

newspaper?

 What do you believe people in your community are most concerned about related to

health?

 What is generating the most visits to the emergency room or hospital admission in

your community?

 What do you believe is reducing the quality of life in your community?

Possible Topic Areas to Choose for Field Project

Access to Healthcare

 access to mental health services

 access to dental health services

 access to health services

 promotion of health literacy

Alcohol and Drug Use

 responsible alcohol consumption

 prevention of drug abuse, including

– IV drug use

– prescription drug use

Child Health

 prevention of neonatal mortality

 prevention of unintentional childhood injuries, including:

– sudden unexpected infant death (SUID)

– poisoning

– drowning

– motor vehicle related (child safety seat and seat belt use)

– sports related

– pedestrian related

 prevention of child abuse

 promotion of vaccination

Disabled

 promotion of health and well-being, including

– access to disability related services and devices,

– limit barriers to participating in home, work, school, or community activities

Disaster Preparedness

 prevention of adverse health consequences caused by natural and human caused

disasters

HIV/AIDS

 prevention of HIV/AIDS, including

– sexual transmission

– prenatal transmission

– IV drug use transmission

Oral Health

 prevention of dental caries

Obesity/Nutrition

 prevention of overweight and obesity through healthy nutrition and physical activity

 prevention of food deserts

Physical Environment

 promotion of healthy physical environment, including

– air quality

– land quality

– water quality

Seniors

 prevention of falls

 prevention of social isolation

 promotion of vaccination

Sexual Health

 Prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

Social Environment

 safe, affordable, quality housing (prevention of homelessness)

Tobacco

 prevention of tobacco use

 prevention of smoking

Unintentional Injuries

 prevention of workplace injuries

 prevention of motor vehicle related death/injuries

– prevention of pedestrian injury and death (includes bicyclists)

Violence

 prevention of domestic violence/intimate partner violence

 prevention of dating violence

 prevention of gang violence

 prevention of community violence

 prevention of bullying/cyber-bullying

 prevention of suicide/depression

 Prevention of human/sex trafficking

Women’s and Maternal Health

 prevention of unintended pregnancies

 lack of breastfeeding/promotion of breastfeeding

 promotion of vaccination

Resources to Start Your Topic Choice Process

 Healthy People 2020