Study Guide for WGU Community and Public Health – D402
This guide is designed to help you prepare efficiently for Western
Governors University Community and Public Health – D402. The
course focuses on population health, prevention strategies, epidemiology,
community assessment, vulnerable populations, policy, and evidence-based
nursing interventions.
1. Core Course Focus Areas
You should be comfortable with:
1. Community Health Nursing Roles
o Advocate
o Educator
o Care coordinator
o Case manager
o Collaborator
o Researcher
2. Public Health Concepts
o Health promotion
o Disease prevention
o Population-focused care
o Social determinants of health
o Health equity
3. Epidemiology
o Incidence vs prevalence
o Morbidity vs mortality
o Risk factors
o Outbreak investigation
o Screening programs
1
,4. Community Assessment
o Windshield survey
o Demographic data
o Environmental safety
o Available resources
o Health disparities
5. Levels of Prevention
o Primary
o Secondary
o Tertiary
6. Disaster Preparedness
o Triage
o Emergency response
o Incident Command System (ICS)
o Communication planning
7. Vulnerable Populations
o Homeless individuals
o Elderly
o Children
o Low-income families
o Rural communities
o Immigrants/refugees
8. Health Policy & Ethics
o Advocacy
o Access to care
o Resource allocation
o Cultural competence
2
, o Informed consent
2. Must-Know Definitions
Incidence vs Prevalence
new cases during time period
Incidence=
population at risk
all existing cases
Prevalence=
total population
Incidence = New cases
Prevalence = Existing cases
Morbidity vs Mortality
Morbidity = Disease/illness rate
Mortality = Death rate
Endemic / Epidemic / Pandemic
Endemic = Constant presence in region
Epidemic = Sudden increase above expected
Pandemic = Worldwide epidemic
3. Levels of Prevention
Primary Prevention
Prevents disease before it occurs.
Examples:
Vaccines
Smoking cessation education
Seatbelt use
Nutrition teaching
Secondary Prevention
Early detection and treatment.
3
This guide is designed to help you prepare efficiently for Western
Governors University Community and Public Health – D402. The
course focuses on population health, prevention strategies, epidemiology,
community assessment, vulnerable populations, policy, and evidence-based
nursing interventions.
1. Core Course Focus Areas
You should be comfortable with:
1. Community Health Nursing Roles
o Advocate
o Educator
o Care coordinator
o Case manager
o Collaborator
o Researcher
2. Public Health Concepts
o Health promotion
o Disease prevention
o Population-focused care
o Social determinants of health
o Health equity
3. Epidemiology
o Incidence vs prevalence
o Morbidity vs mortality
o Risk factors
o Outbreak investigation
o Screening programs
1
,4. Community Assessment
o Windshield survey
o Demographic data
o Environmental safety
o Available resources
o Health disparities
5. Levels of Prevention
o Primary
o Secondary
o Tertiary
6. Disaster Preparedness
o Triage
o Emergency response
o Incident Command System (ICS)
o Communication planning
7. Vulnerable Populations
o Homeless individuals
o Elderly
o Children
o Low-income families
o Rural communities
o Immigrants/refugees
8. Health Policy & Ethics
o Advocacy
o Access to care
o Resource allocation
o Cultural competence
2
, o Informed consent
2. Must-Know Definitions
Incidence vs Prevalence
new cases during time period
Incidence=
population at risk
all existing cases
Prevalence=
total population
Incidence = New cases
Prevalence = Existing cases
Morbidity vs Mortality
Morbidity = Disease/illness rate
Mortality = Death rate
Endemic / Epidemic / Pandemic
Endemic = Constant presence in region
Epidemic = Sudden increase above expected
Pandemic = Worldwide epidemic
3. Levels of Prevention
Primary Prevention
Prevents disease before it occurs.
Examples:
Vaccines
Smoking cessation education
Seatbelt use
Nutrition teaching
Secondary Prevention
Early detection and treatment.
3
