The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64929

Philip A. Greiner, DNSc, RN¹, Doris Troth Lippman, EdD, APRN¹, and Pamela Hoyt, BSN, RN². (1) School of Nursing, Fairfield University, N. Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824-5195, (203) 254-4000 x2718, pgreiner@mail.fairfield.edu, (2) Dreyfus Health Foundation, 205 East 64th Street, Suite 404, New York, NY 10021

Fairfield University School of Nursing and the Dreyfus Health Foundation are partnering to use the Problem Solving for Better Health™ (PSBH) model to address the health issues of older adults in Bridgeport, CT. Nursing students are active participants in this process to apply public health nursing core concepts. Student nurses participate in the consultation, collaboration, coalition building, community organizing, and advocacy components of The Intervention Wheel (Minnesota Dept. of Health, 2001) and learn skills that address Domains 1,3,4,5,6, and 8 of the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Public Health Foundation, 2001) and of the draft Core Competencies for Public Health Nurses (Quad Council, 2003). Students attend community partnership meetings, participate in the community forum as community members identify and refine health problem statements, and serve as resources as community members design and implement individual projects. Student nurses are directly involved in the PSBH process, link with at least one community member to work with that community member's project, and develop a liaison role in the community. The presentation will describe the PSBH™ model, present the collaborative process, and address the student learning outcomes from the first round of the PSBH model application in a low- and moderate-income, inner city, ethnically diverse population. Process logs, student focus group interviews, and community participant feedback will be used to evaluate the initial process, with recommendations for second round.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. State the components and process of the Problem Solving for Better Health™ model.
• 2. Relate the PSBH™ model to the education of nursing students in core public health nursing concepts.
• 3. Determine the applicability of this approach to nursing education based on the experiences described and the evaluation methods used.

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Dreyfus Health Foundation Problem Solving for Better Health model
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.