COMMUNITY HEALTH HESI EXAM
STUDY GUIDE 2026 – COMPLETE
CONCEPT REVIEW & PRACTICE
MATERIALS (LATEST EDITION)
1. Foundations & Core Concepts of Public Health
1. What is the primary goal of community/public health nursing?
• To promote health and prevent disease within populations and communities, not
just individuals.
2. What is the difference between public health and community health?
• Public health focuses on populations at local, state, and national levels.
Community health focuses on specific communities or aggregates within a public health
framework.
3. Define the term "aggregate" in community health.
• A subgroup of a population that shares one or more common characteristic (e.g.,
age, diagnosis, risk factor).
4. What is "population-focused practice"?
• Looking at the entire group's health status and needs, using data to develop
interventions that benefit the whole population.
5. Name the three levels of prevention and give a community example for each.
• Primary: Preventing the initial occurrence (e.g., community vaccination clinics).
• Secondary: Early detection and intervention (e.g., mobile screening for
hypertension).
• Tertiary: Rehabilitation and minimizing disability (e.g., cardiac rehab programs,
support groups for chronic illness).
2. Epidemiology & Data
,6. What is epidemiology?
• The study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in
populations.
7. What is the purpose of a morbidity rate?
• To measure the incidence or prevalence of a disease or condition in a population.
8. What is the difference between incidence and prevalence?
• Incidence: Number of new cases in a period. Prevalence: Total number
of existing cases at a given time.
9. What does "mortality rate" measure?
• The number of deaths in a population during a specific period.
10. What is an endemic disease?
• A disease that is consistently present in a specific geographic area or population
(e.g., malaria in some tropical regions).
11. What is an epidemic?
• A sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally
expected.
12. What is a pandemic?
• An epidemic that has spread over multiple countries or continents.
13. What is the role of the CDC?
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the national public health
agency in the U.S. that protects health through disease control, prevention, and health
promotion.
14. What is a "notifiable/reportable disease"?
• A disease that, by law, must be reported to public health authorities to monitor
and control spread (e.g., TB, hepatitis, COVID-19).
3. Health Promotion & Education
15. What is the number one priority in community health education?
, • To start where the learner/community is, respecting their culture, literacy level,
and readiness.
16. What is the Health Belief Model?
• A theory that predicts health behavior based on a person's perceived
susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers.
17. Describe Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as it applies to community assessment.
• Basic physiological and safety needs (food, shelter, safety) must be addressed
before higher-level needs (belonging, self-esteem) can be achieved.
18. What is the purpose of a community health needs assessment?
• To systematically identify a community's strengths, resources, and health
problems to guide program planning.
19. What is a "windshield survey"?
• A method of community assessment by observing a community while driving or
walking through it (e.g., housing, open spaces, transportation).
20. What is cultural competence in community nursing?
• The ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people
across cultures, integrating their beliefs into care plans.
4. Vulnerable Populations & At-Risk Groups
21. Who are considered vulnerable populations?
• Groups at increased risk for poor health outcomes due to barriers related to
socioeconomic status, age, race, disability, etc.
22. What are common health concerns for the homeless population?
• Mental illness, substance abuse, TB, skin infections, nutritional deficits, and lack
of access to continuous care.
23. What is a major barrier to healthcare for migrant workers?
• Language, transportation, fear of deportation, low income, and mobility that
disrupts continuity of care.
24. What is the leading cause of death among adolescents?
, • Unintentional injuries (e.g., motor vehicle accidents). Followed by suicide and
homicide.
25. What is a key focus for health promotion in the elderly population?
• Fall prevention, medication management, immunizations (pneumonia, shingles),
and social isolation prevention.
26. What is the goal of a WIC program?
• The Women, Infants, and Children program provides supplemental nutritious
foods, education, and referrals to low-income pregnant/postpartum women and
children up to age 5.
5. Environmental Health
27. What is the greatest environmental threat to global health according to the WHO?
• Climate change.
28. What is a common health effect of lead poisoning in children?
• Neurodevelopmental delays, learning disabilities, and lowered IQ.
29. What should a nurse do if they suspect a patient has food poisoning?
• Report it to the local health department to initiate an investigation and prevent
further cases.
30. What is the primary purpose of sanitation?
• To protect public health by removing waste and providing clean drinking water to
prevent disease transmission.
31. What vector is responsible for transmitting Lyme disease?
• The black-legged (deer) tick.
6. Communicable Disease Control
32. What are the three elements of the epidemiological triangle?
• Agent, Host, and Environment.
33. What is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection?
• Hand hygiene (handwashing with soap and water or alcohol-based rub).
STUDY GUIDE 2026 – COMPLETE
CONCEPT REVIEW & PRACTICE
MATERIALS (LATEST EDITION)
1. Foundations & Core Concepts of Public Health
1. What is the primary goal of community/public health nursing?
• To promote health and prevent disease within populations and communities, not
just individuals.
2. What is the difference between public health and community health?
• Public health focuses on populations at local, state, and national levels.
Community health focuses on specific communities or aggregates within a public health
framework.
3. Define the term "aggregate" in community health.
• A subgroup of a population that shares one or more common characteristic (e.g.,
age, diagnosis, risk factor).
4. What is "population-focused practice"?
• Looking at the entire group's health status and needs, using data to develop
interventions that benefit the whole population.
5. Name the three levels of prevention and give a community example for each.
• Primary: Preventing the initial occurrence (e.g., community vaccination clinics).
• Secondary: Early detection and intervention (e.g., mobile screening for
hypertension).
• Tertiary: Rehabilitation and minimizing disability (e.g., cardiac rehab programs,
support groups for chronic illness).
2. Epidemiology & Data
,6. What is epidemiology?
• The study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in
populations.
7. What is the purpose of a morbidity rate?
• To measure the incidence or prevalence of a disease or condition in a population.
8. What is the difference between incidence and prevalence?
• Incidence: Number of new cases in a period. Prevalence: Total number
of existing cases at a given time.
9. What does "mortality rate" measure?
• The number of deaths in a population during a specific period.
10. What is an endemic disease?
• A disease that is consistently present in a specific geographic area or population
(e.g., malaria in some tropical regions).
11. What is an epidemic?
• A sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally
expected.
12. What is a pandemic?
• An epidemic that has spread over multiple countries or continents.
13. What is the role of the CDC?
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the national public health
agency in the U.S. that protects health through disease control, prevention, and health
promotion.
14. What is a "notifiable/reportable disease"?
• A disease that, by law, must be reported to public health authorities to monitor
and control spread (e.g., TB, hepatitis, COVID-19).
3. Health Promotion & Education
15. What is the number one priority in community health education?
, • To start where the learner/community is, respecting their culture, literacy level,
and readiness.
16. What is the Health Belief Model?
• A theory that predicts health behavior based on a person's perceived
susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers.
17. Describe Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as it applies to community assessment.
• Basic physiological and safety needs (food, shelter, safety) must be addressed
before higher-level needs (belonging, self-esteem) can be achieved.
18. What is the purpose of a community health needs assessment?
• To systematically identify a community's strengths, resources, and health
problems to guide program planning.
19. What is a "windshield survey"?
• A method of community assessment by observing a community while driving or
walking through it (e.g., housing, open spaces, transportation).
20. What is cultural competence in community nursing?
• The ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people
across cultures, integrating their beliefs into care plans.
4. Vulnerable Populations & At-Risk Groups
21. Who are considered vulnerable populations?
• Groups at increased risk for poor health outcomes due to barriers related to
socioeconomic status, age, race, disability, etc.
22. What are common health concerns for the homeless population?
• Mental illness, substance abuse, TB, skin infections, nutritional deficits, and lack
of access to continuous care.
23. What is a major barrier to healthcare for migrant workers?
• Language, transportation, fear of deportation, low income, and mobility that
disrupts continuity of care.
24. What is the leading cause of death among adolescents?
, • Unintentional injuries (e.g., motor vehicle accidents). Followed by suicide and
homicide.
25. What is a key focus for health promotion in the elderly population?
• Fall prevention, medication management, immunizations (pneumonia, shingles),
and social isolation prevention.
26. What is the goal of a WIC program?
• The Women, Infants, and Children program provides supplemental nutritious
foods, education, and referrals to low-income pregnant/postpartum women and
children up to age 5.
5. Environmental Health
27. What is the greatest environmental threat to global health according to the WHO?
• Climate change.
28. What is a common health effect of lead poisoning in children?
• Neurodevelopmental delays, learning disabilities, and lowered IQ.
29. What should a nurse do if they suspect a patient has food poisoning?
• Report it to the local health department to initiate an investigation and prevent
further cases.
30. What is the primary purpose of sanitation?
• To protect public health by removing waste and providing clean drinking water to
prevent disease transmission.
31. What vector is responsible for transmitting Lyme disease?
• The black-legged (deer) tick.
6. Communicable Disease Control
32. What are the three elements of the epidemiological triangle?
• Agent, Host, and Environment.
33. What is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection?
• Hand hygiene (handwashing with soap and water or alcohol-based rub).
