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

Abstract #66780

Kathleen A Baldwin, PhD, RN¹, L. Michele Issel, PhD, RN², Linda Farrand, PhD, RN, CS³, Geraldine Gorman, PhD, RN, Patricia R. Lewis, PhD, RN⁵, Judy Lloyd Storfjell, PhD, RN, Marie Talashek, EdD, RN, and Roberta L. Lyons, MPH, CHES⁸. (1) College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Peoria Campus, One Illini Drive, Peoria, IL 61656-1649, 309-671-8467, kbaldwin@uic.edu, (2) School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2035 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, (3) College of Nursing, Urbana Campus, University of Illinois at Chicago, 408 S. Goodwin Ave., M/C 076, Urbana, IL 61801, (4) Rockford Regional Program, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Highcrest Dr., Rockford, IL 61102, (5) College of Nursing, Peoria Regional Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, One Illini Drive, Box 1649, Peoria, IL 61656-1649

A coalition of public health nursing (PHN) educators and practitioners partnered to develop and implement state-of-the-art PHN graduate curricula. Curricula include a College of Nursing (CON) Advanced Community Health Nurse MS degree and a joint MS/MPH degree through the CON and the School of Public Health. Implementation of these curricula focuses on providing flexibility for nurses working in public health and community health settings. Three sources were used to generate input and ideas for curriculum implementation. A state advisory board provided a statewide perspective of PHN administration, practice, and education and assisted with strategic planning; regional consortia provided local perspectives and assisted with curriculum planning and implementation; and two statewide surveys of PHN practitioners and educators assessed barriers to and incentives for continuing education.

Strategies to increase educational accessibility include: greater flexibility in scheduling of courses, increased variety in modes of course delivery, and innovative arrangements for concurrent education and employment. A persistent barrier remains financial support for returning students. The content of the new curricula prepares graduates to pass the American Nurses Credentialing Center certification as well as to provide leadership in public health. By improving accessibility, PHN are more likely to obtain the education needed for improving the PHN workforce. The effect of these changes will be the subject of future studies.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
• describe public health nursing curricula developed from partnerships between education and practice;
• discuss the methods established to support this partnering; and
• propose three positive results accruing from curricula developed through PHN education-practice partnerships.

Keywords: Public Health Nursing, Partnerships

Related Web page: www.uic.edu/nursing/aphne

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.