Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110773

Mary Ellen T. Miller, MSN, RN, School of Nursing, La Salle University, 1900 West Olney Avenue, Box 808, Philadelphia, PA 19141, 215-951-1489, millerm@lasalle.edu and Sharon Starr, MSN, LaSalle University, LaSalle Neighborhood Nursing Center, 1900 West Olney Avenue, Box 808, Philadelphia, PA 19141.

In a school of nursing located in an urban setting, six elective courses that comprise the urban health curricula were initiated between the summer of 1998 and 1999. The capstone course "Urban health: families in jeopardy" recognizes the family unit as the basis for community health and utilizes. Zerwekh's Family Caregiving Model as the theoretical framework. Selected threats to quality of life issues, such as poverty, lack of insurance, environmental health concerns and limited public health resources as well as the impact of family history are explored via several teaching strategies. Students self select an urban family to perform an assessment utilizing a Family Assessment Instrument, designed by the authors of this paper, who also were the co-developers of this course. Traditionally, this family assessment includes a family history and genogram. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), family history is known to contribute to the development of numerous diseases, including the top two causes of death in the United States, cancer and heart disease. In November 2004, General Richard H. Carmona, Surgeon General of the United States debuted The Family History Initiative. In January 2005, the capstone urban health course was conducted via an during the winter intersession semester. One student assignment included the Family History Initiative via the “My Family Portrait” template that was accessed via the Surgeon General's website. Upon review of the template, familial patterns became apparent to the students. Each student was able to identify the diseases and conditions that were prevalent in their own family. Student's summative evaluations revealed increased knowledge related to particular genetic health risks in their family of origin. This assessment of family history via “My Family Portrait” was a valuable teaching and learning strategy as it introduced nursing students to an innovative public health initiative, increased their comfort level utilizing web based instruction and heightened their awareness of familial disease patterns and health risks. Nursing students entering the 21st century workforce must be prepared to address contemporary evidenced based practice issues. This assignment can be replicated in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant will be able to

• Describe The Surgeon General's Family Health Initiative
• Apply the Surgeon General's Family Health Initiative to low and high risk families
• Create an assignment for nursing students based on The Surgeon General's Family History Initiative in their institution.

Keywords: Public Health Nursing, Genetics

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.