In nursing school, I learned the importance of an assessment. An assessment is used to determine how the patient is doing and it serves as a baseline to look at as the patient’s condition progresses. When we apply the concept of assessment to a community setting, we use something called a windshield survey. The purpose of this survey is for the nurse to become familiar with the community by simply driving around the town and noting what parts make up that certain community. What does this community have to offer to its resident’s? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Sounds a bit familiar doesn’t it? Similar to our task of identifying our community’s commonwealth assets, a windshield survey serves a similar purpose. So what does Plainview have to offer? The city provides healthcare options for its resident’s including the Covenant Hospital and other various clinics. Education advancement is offered at Wayland Baptist University and South Plains College. New renewable energy projects are focused on wind energy and have started in the county. There are various grocery stores like United Amigos and Walmart for produce and other items needed for daily living. The streets of downtown Plainview are rich with the towns history. Murals scattered throughout the town show an artsy side of Plainview that is not well known. The Plainview area is big on agriculture and they definitely know how to show their love by filling their town with cow statues. I mean, they are literally everywhere! All painted differently, each telling a unique story. They give Plainview that “sense of place”. All in all, my survey revealed that the city has a lot to offer its resident’s. I continue my internship hopeful that I become more familiar with Plainview and all that it has to offer.
