158643 Enhancing the Public Health Nursing Rotation for Students Through a Comprehensive Public Health Orientation

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Soraya Montoya, RN, CNS, MSN/MPH , Nursing Admin - Education and Professional Development Unit, County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Lucille M. Rayford, RN, PHN, MSNc , Nursing Education and Professional Development Unit, Los Angeles County Public Health Nursing Administration, Los Angeles, CA
Cherie R. Forsha, RN, MSN/MPH, CNS , Public Health Nursing Administration, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA
Carolyn Vizmanos, PHN, MSN;MPH(c) , Nursing Admin - Education and Professional Development Unit, County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health hosts approximately 400 nursing students from 9 affiliated universities each semester between Community Health Services (CHS) generalist nurses and various Public Health categorical programs. In the past, each CHS health center was responsible for coordinating orientations for the nursing students assigned to the facility, which amounted to approximately 15 separate orientation sessions that were not consistent. Program presenters were becoming overwhelmed with the individual requests. Therefore, the Education and Professional Development Unit in conjunction with the University Affiliation Subcommittee perceived a need to create a uniform and comprehensive public health orientation for nursing students. Beginning in Fall 2006, these orientations were held at the start of the student's community health rotation.

Since the inception of the general orientations, affiliated university's students must attend an all- day orientation. The orientations consist of an overview of Public Health Nursing in Los Angeles County with representatives from several programs:

 Education & Professional Development Unit  District Public Health Nursing  Clinic Nursing  Nurse Family Partnership  Acute Communicable Disease Control  California Children Services  Environmental Health  Sexually Transmitted Diseases  Childhood Lead Prevention Program  Immunization Program  Tuberculosis Program  Nurse Recruitment & Retention

Each speaker presents the role of nurse in public health programs as well as the services the program provides, how the program interacts with District Public Health Nursing, and situations where students may need to make a referral. At the conclusion of the orientation, students complete a form to evaluate the orientation.

Majority of the students express that the orientations are informative and interesting. Many stated he or she will consider a career in Public Health Nursing sometime in the future. Moreover, with the current nursing shortage predicted to continue, the orientation aids in recruiting potential candidates to Public Health Nursing programs in Los Angeles County.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to meet the following objectives: 1. Describe the nursing student orientation provided by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. 2. Develop a similar orientation for the nursing students in their jurisdiction dependent on their resources.

Keywords: Public Health Administration, Public Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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