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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Laurel Janssen Breen, RN, Phd (c), Department of Nursing, Saint Joseph's College, 43 Lafayette Ave, Sea Cliff, NY 11579-1730, 516.674.4313, lbreen4704@aol.com and Jane Corrarino, RN, MS, Suffolk County Department of Health, 6 Osprey Lane, Setauket, NY 11733.

A Baccalaureate RN/BSN Department of Nursing and a local Health Department(LHD) expanded their historical commitment to an 'academic-community health partnership'. The College/Public Health Nursing's earlier relationsip relied primarily on traditional student placement activities and community-based learning experiences. The effects of chronic understaffing and an overall nursing shortage on the ability of a local Public Health Nursing Unit to provide resources were addressed as a shared partnership issue. The school brought together advocates from across the region, and this became the basis for a community-wide advocacy effort to stabilize and support the program, its resources, and its ability in turn to continue to provide quality student-learning opportunities. Several benefits to this partnership emerged: students learned about the importance of advocacy in the provision of quality health care services to underserved populations, the LHD was able to continue student placement activities in the PHN unit, community awareness of the problems facing the LHD Public Health Nursing Unit helped make the issue a community priority, and community organizing on the part of the Department of Nursing and community advocates strengthened the community commitment to the provision of services to the underserved. The importance of educating a generation of nurses who have the knowledge, skills, and passion to address public health issues is crucial to the profession and to America's health. Data and outcomes will be presented.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, the attendee will be able to

Discuss two key features of the issue of community partnerships;
• Identify three advantages of partnering local public health nursing units with schools of nursing; and,
• Plan three strategies for developing community partnerships between local PHN units and schools of nursing.

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Public Health Nursing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered