Quad Council's PHN competencies: Expanding the knowledge base, skills, and attitudes of the County of Los Angeles public health nurses to deliver the 10 essential public health services

In responding to the health care challenges of the 21st Century, the County of Los Angeles Public Health Nurses continues to strengthen their focus on population health, through partnerships, coalitions, collaborations, and multidisciplinary teams in order to help build healthier communities. Because of the rapid changes in the health care system, it is essential that the public health nurses clearly articulate what they do by recording the progress of their work based on the Quad Council's Public Health Nursing Competencies. The purpose of this presentation is to provide strategies and resources for the public health nursing workforce on how to accurately integrate the PHN competencies into their practice. The PHN competencies training will be implemented by the Education and Professional Development Unit of the County of Los Angeles Public Health-Nursing Administration Department. The daily application of the PHN competencies will offer the prospect to facilitate communication among public health nurses to successfully deliver the ten Essential Public Health Services. The PHN competencies convey a considerable opportunity for the public health nurses to understand their role in a meaningful way and to reflect on his/her current competencies skill levels. Furthermore, the tables for each of the eight PHN domains (analytic assessment, policy development/program planning, communication, cultural competency, community dimensions of practice, basic public health sciences, financial planning and management, leadership and systems thinking) and its specific competencies are provided with examples of public health nursing activities and experiences that illustrate their vital role in public health.