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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sandra S. Morano, BA, RN, Stamford Health Department, Public Health Nursing, 888 Washington Blvd., Stamford, CT 06901, (203) 977-5930, smorano@ci.stamford.ct.us, Johnnie A. Lee, MD, MPH, FACP, Stamford Department of Health and Social Services, 888 Washington Blvd, Stamford, CT 06901, and Olga M. Brown-Vanderpool, BSN, MPH, MA, Nursing Services, Stamford Department of Health and Social Services, 888 Washington Blvd, Stamford, CT 06901.

The purpose of this abstract is to demonstrate how a successful newsletter was created to significantly improve communication between school nurses and community health nurses, hired by the same employer and working in various locations. The Stamford Health Department employs 40 nurses, 30 in the public, private and parochial schools scattered throughout the city, while 6 are at the Government Center, (3 are part time) with the Director of Nursing at the Government Center. The city of Stamford has 117,000 residents speaking 57 languages. Children attend 35 private and parochial schools.

Around December 2004, a number of nurses voiced the need for a communication instrument, so that the entire nursing staff would be aware of the many programs helpful to residents of Stamford. The first newsletter was published in March of 2005. The Stamford Public Health Nurses have solidified their efforts to give coordinated health care to the Stamford community. The School Nurses now know all the services of the Community Health Nurses, and have increased referrals of their students and families. The School Nurses share special projects that have been successful. Networking with each other and with community organizations have expanded. Benefits of the newsletter are: increased morale, camaraderie and a motivation to “do something” in our own sphere of influence. As morale has increased, so has productivity. When productivity is increased the entire community's health benefits. The entire community can benefit from a team of professional nurses who exchange ideas freely and ultimately have an ideal communication system.

Learning Objectives: At the sessions end the listeners will be able to

1.Recognize the signs of minimal communication among different nursing sections, working for the same employer. 2.Create and develop a newsletter in their department. 3.Replicate this method to program and design an easy computer generated monthly or bimonthly newsletter.
• Assess the outcomes of improved communication among nurses.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered