The keystone of community health nursing practice is the focus on the community as a whole. Caring for the community is central therefore to the mission of community health practice. This caring mission requires the ability of nurses to assess the health of the community. Community health nurses must be able to identify factors within a community that enhance health and those that predispose to poor health. The identification of high risk population groups within the community and the avail able, acceptable, and accessible health care resources are critical factors to assess.