Providers within the U.S. healthcare system continually work to improve the quality of community health, but nurses can often be relegated to support roles. The newly revised Healthy Places, Healthy People, Third Edition, published by The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), builds a compelling case that nurses can lead the change to providing the highest quality of patient care by working with their communities to understand specific cultures and healthcare needs.   

The newest edition of this popular book offers a detailed look at the differences and complementarities of ethnography and epidemiology, as well as updates on the national agenda Healthy People 2020, the Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and Joint Commission requirements that help nurses provide culturally sensitive care. Authors Lisa E. Skemp, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, Melanie C. Dreher, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Susan P. Lehmann, MSN, RN, provide updated information on community and public health as they guide students and experienced nurses alike through the core public health leadership competencies.

A well-crafted strategy enables public health workers to mobilize citizen action, working with groups and individuals to build capacity for health equity and, ultimately, a healthier future.

Healthy Places, Healthy People, Third Edition provides realistic strategies and practical advice -- everything current and future nurses need to prepare, gather, organize, and analyze the basic community information needed to create an effective public health strategy.

 “Healthy places are the building blocks for healthy people,” Skemp said. “The capacity of communities to assure a robust physical and social environment will promote and protect the health of their citizens.”

The book is available at http://www.nursingknowledge.org/sttibooks.