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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Cherie R. Forsha, RN, MSN/MPH, CNS, Public Health Nursing Administration, Los Angeles County, 241 N. Figueroa Street, Room 347, Education and Professional Development Unit, Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 989-7196, cforsha@ladhs.org

Los Angeles County (LAC) Public Health Nursing (PHN) senior leadership is provided through a matrix management system. Therefore, multilevel committees are formulated to make decision on how best to structure LAC PHN's practice; as a result, an Education committee has been organized to meet the professional development needs of the 736 nursing staff currently employed in the department. The overarching goal of the Education committee is to provide professional growth opportunities that promote excellence in public health nursing staff and university affiliated students, which will improve the number of healthy people in healthy communities. The committee is further subdivided into three subcommittees. These subcommittees include University Affiliation, Orientation, Professional Development and Training. University Affiliation, once a stand alone committee is developing a similar and comprehensive clinical experience for both the graduate and undergraduate nursing students. This experience will better prepare the undergraduate student for an entry level position into LAC PHN and prepare the graduate student for advance practice roles. Orientation is evaluating the current orientation program and implementing changes as needed, as well as updating the orientation manual to meet the ever changing needs of public health in LAC. Professional Development and Training is further providing training and support that will promote excellence in practice, and move the nurse in public health from awareness to expert in public health's competencies. It has been found in LAC's PHN's matrix management, committee decision making promotes acceptance of new ideas. PHN continues to evaluate the committee process as the Education committee moves forward.

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

• Articulate the committee process in Matrix Management
• Identify the necessary components to measure success in committee decision making
• List reasons why committee decision making assist with acceptance of new and innovative ideas in a large county system

Keywords: Education, Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered