Experiencing community development: research-based insights for gerontological nurses.

Introduction Nurses, including gerontological nurses who work with older persons in the community, are increasingly being called upon to include community development in the work they do. However, much of the nursing literature on community development is theoretical (Chalmers &Bramadat, 1996; Lassister, 1992), and offers the nurse little in the way of pragmatic or practical suggestions on how nurses, particularly gerontological nurses, might best participate in community development projects. While a few nurses have actually documented the process of various community development projects (English, 1995; Glick, Hale, Hulbok & Shettig, 1996), it is difficult to find sources that offer practical insights for nurses doing community development work, particularly with older populations. Therefore, the intent of this paper is to offer practical insights and lessons emerging from the experience those involved in a community development project that focused on the establishment of support groups for caregivers of the frail elderly. By reviewing the successes and downfalls of the project, we hope to offer valuable insights for nurses who might be involved in similar community development pro--cts with older persons. This paper will include an overview of some of the characteristics of community development and a description of the community development project. The methods used to evaluate the project will be presented along with results of the qualitative evaluation. Finally, some insights and implications are offered for gerontological nurses who may be engaged in similar community development projects involving older persons. Community Development It is important to clarify what the authors mean by a community development project since the term has been used in many different ways. Lassiter's (1992) definition of community development was used in the project: