Linking academia and practice for new PHN orientation

This presentation will describe the creation and pilot testing of an online orientation program, with a mentoring component for nurses new to public health practice in local, state, and tribal health departments. This statewide project was a collaborative effort of academic and practice partners and partially funded by HRSA. The project received IRB approval. Nurses new to public health with <1 year experience were recruited to participate in the orientation program. Nurses with >1 year of experience were recruited as mentors. Five online modules using voice-over slide video where developed collaboratively by faculty from the School of Nursing and Regional Public Health Consultants from the State Division of Health, with input from local and tribal health departments. The modules cover the role of public health nurses in the five statutory services: State's PHN Practice Model and general public health nursing; communicable disease prevention and control; chronic disease and injury prevention; health promotion; and human health hazards abatement. The online pre and post surveys were created by the academic partner and included knowledge and self-assessed competency for practice questions. Training for mentors and mentees was provided. Results of the pilot evaluation will be presented including pre- and post-survey comparisons on knowledge change and change in self-assessed competency for PHN practice, and qualitative themes derived from evaluation of the mentoring partnership experience. Collaboration between academia and practice can extend to preparation of nurses new to public health practice through orientation and mentoring program development and evaluation.