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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Barbara J. Polivka, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, 614-292-4902, polivka.1@osu.edu, Sharon Stanley, PhD, RN, School of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1212 Kinear Rd., Columbus, OH 43212, Deanna Gordon, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, Capital University, 1 College and Main, Columbus, OH 43209-2394, Gloria Kieffer, MS, RN, Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Dept, 205 N. 7th St., Zanesvill, OH 43701, Kelly Taulbee, MS, RN, Hocking County Health Dept., 132 Hocking Mall, Logan, OH 43138, and Sheryl McCorkle, MA, Ohio Hospital Association, 155 East Broad Street, 14th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215.

Significant federal resources continue to focus on public health preparedness. The question of surge capacity in response to disaster remains. An assumption is that public health nurses (PHN) are prepared to step into the mass care void to render public health, population-based services. This capability depends on the availability of qualified personnel and their abilities to perform assigned tasks. Therefore, competency based training for surge capacity is critical in the PHN workforce. Although competencies exist for public health care clinical practitioners, they are not specific to PHNs and surge capacity during a mass casualty event. We are developing and evaluating such competencies with the long-term goal of building a competency-based curriculum emphasizing the role of the PHN in assurance of surge capacity for disaster preparedness using an all-hazards approach. The purpose of this study is to develop consensus regarding public health nursing competencies in the event of a public health surge event related to disaster using a two-round Delphi approach. The first round will ask panelists to rank the importance of each suggested competency, provide comments concerning the competencies, and suggest additional competencies. The second round will provide feedback to the panelists concerning Round I survey results and ask panelists to indicate whether each competency should remain. The sample will include public health agency directors of nursing, health commissioners, PHNs with expertise in disaster preparedness, and state and national experts in this area. Results of the Delphi survey as well as the final list of competencies will be presented.

Learning Objectives: The learning audience will

• Articulate the results of the two-round Delphi study to validate the public health nursing competencies associated with a surge response; and
• Describe the public health nursing competencies associated with a surge response.

Keywords: Public Health Nursing, Disasters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered