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

Abstract #110943

Joan B. Castleman, MS, RN, College of Nursing, University of Florida, Box 100187, Gainesville, FL 32610-0187, 352 273 6362, jbcastle@nursing.ufl.edu

This paper will focus on a partnership between public health nursing and a subsidized housing neighborhood to address the problem of youth violence. Collaborating with critical community groups, a summer recreation program was developed. Prior public health nursing activities within the neighborhood facilitated program planning. The local housing authority provided required support and resources. As part of their public health nursing experience, senior BSN nursing students were involved with activities critical to the program's success. Youth violence in this area decreased after the first year. Importantly, based on recommendations by public health nurse faculty involved in the project, public housing officials invested more heavily in the program during the second year by hiring local elementary school teachers to provide reading activities and additional supervision for the children. Public health nursing involvement through this process fostered community partners assuming more ownership and responsibilities for the program, and the second year of the program yielded noticeable gains in participation from children and parents alike. It is anticipated this program will be continued. The example provided demonstrates the possibilities for improving health in public housing neighborhoods when housing authority officials view their mission broadly and perceive themselves to be part of a larger community. From a theory point of view,and in the context of this session, the partnership of nursing with public housing resulted in incremental gains of ‘social capital' within the neighborhood.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to
• Identify ways in which public health nurses can facilitate collaboration with local public housing authorities and other community partners to develop programs within public housing communities.
• Describe how public health nursing interventions can promote social capital within public housing.
• Discuss opportunities within public housing for BSN nursing students to practice population focused care. .

Keywords: Housing, Social Justice

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.