Innovative grant partnership approaches to C/PHN education and practice

As communities assess and recognize needs, multiple solutions may emerge. In Wisconsin, developing approaches to assure a strong and diverse community/public health nursing workforce resulted in the emergence of two funded grant programs.

“Raising the Bar”, is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Northwest Health Foundation Partners Investing in Nursing's Future project. The LEAP Project, “Linking Education and Practice for Excellence in Public Health Nursing,” is a HRSA( #D11HPO 7731) funded initiative.

The leadership of the two programs developed and implemented a collaboration model which delineates mutual grant objectives, avoids duplication of stakeholders and resources and demonstrates the synergy of the efforts to provide clarity for partners. Both grants focus on improvement in public health nursing (PHN) education and practice to sustain the workforce. Objectives are designed to address needs for enhancing competencies in population-based PHN practice among baccalaureate nursing students, nurses new to public health, practicing PHNs, and c/phn faculty. A key component of both projects has been to bring together academic and practice partners in regional meetings. This collaboration facilitates identification and adaptation of best practices in contemporary PHN and seeks consistency in competency development as defined by the Quad Council for Public Health Nursing and other national organizations. The structure creates open dialogue between academia and practice to improve education and service delivery. This presentation will provide an overview of model, and highlight some of the joint projects embarked upon by the grants.