Pilot program for community nurses in rural areas

I would like to share a type of sanitary service that works in some countries and recently is being implemented in Japan to solve some problems that have countries with aging populations and a marked urban-rural duality. I’m talking about community nurses, health professionals who help rural residents maintain their health serving as mediators between patients and medical facilities.



Their duty is to live in rural communities, close to the inhabitants, especially those groups that are more socially isolated. In that context, community nurses informally monitor their health status, detecting early indicators of possible health problems and encouraging them to go to the doctor when necessary. They can also give advice on minor issues, provide certain medical services and monitoring the correct application of treatments.



These professionals would fulfil preventive and proactive sanitary work aswell and, at the same time, they would perform social work in the community by actively and closely taking care of those people who live more socially isolated understanding health care in a broad sense.



Promoting a pilot project of community nurses in rural regions would allow to evaluate this model and adapt it to the reality of each territory. This project would also have implications for the social and economic dynamization of rural areas.



Nowadays, demographic dynamics show the need to introduce new health care concepts that respond to the challenges that are presented to us. In this sense, community nurses can provide a local service to improve the quality of life of our elders, tackling early pathologies through a close and informal attention that also reinforces the emotional and social level of aging.