A rural public health nurse is spending time reviewing death certificates.Which of the following best explains the purpose of this activity?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mortality data are often the only source of health-related data available for small geographic areas.Vital statistics reports,such as death certificates,are reviewed.Useful information also comes from administrative data such as discharge reports and billing records.It is not necessary that the local causes of death are consistent with national causes,rather it is important the nurse be aware of the major causes of mortality in the community so that the needs of the community can be addressed.Mortality data can occasionally be used to evaluate the effectiveness of health promotion programs,but this would not be the primary purpose of reviewing death certificates.Other data can be used to detect the start of local health problems.Analyzing death certificates as the only means of examining local health problems would provide the nurse with data that is not current.

A Rural Public Health Nurse Is Spending Time Reviewing Death