Building nurses voices of power: Competency-based public health policy education

Background and Rationale: The Department of Nursing at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh is a baccalaureate degree granting nursing program (PSU) in rural northern New York. Our philosophy is to prepare nurses who are able to advocate for the welfare of their patients and the profession with legislators and the general public. We believe today's nurses need to discover the power of public policy as a vehicle for patient-centered care. Baccalaureate prepared nurses need to be competent patient advocates who are skilled in public policy and communication. In our experience, students in baccalaureate programs report virtually no understanding of public policy, legislative action, and public communication as nursing imperatives.

Program: PSU senior nursing students participate in an integrated curriculum that includes skill development in public policy, legislative action and public communication as core nursing competencies. The goal of the program is to prepare graduates able to navigate comfortably in complex healthcare environments, using population based concepts of care. The theoretical framework for this program is an ethical decision-making model. The activities in this capstone experience culminate with participation in the New York State Nurses Association Lobby Day. Students chronicle their experiences through multiple learning activities and media. .

Evaluation Methods: A phenomenological methodology was used to analyze the experience of students and faculty in the integrated curriculum.

Results: Preliminary results by students describe their learning as a life-changing event, where they found their voices as agents of patients. Initial faculty evaluations indicate a deep respect for the value of student voices in advocacy as a vehicle for building leadership in the nursing workforce. A complete program description and the experience of participants will be discussed.