Mutual Benefits Model

The Mutual Benefit Model

Background: Public health nursing competencies do not come easily to nursing students. The transition from acute care to public health challenges students to conceptualize population based nursing interventions. Too often in nursing education our students are implementing strategies best served in tertiary care settings. The application of population based care, as described by the Minnesota Department of Health, enhances public health nursing curricula and clarifies the applying and doing of public health nursing. Description: This session introduces the Mutual Benefits Model (MBM) for community partnerships. The MBM approaches public health nursing as a force for social justice. Through collaborative relationships with community organizations, the school of nursing accepts responsibility for designing and delivering public health nursing to populations in need. Faculty guide nursing students to engage vulnerable populations, assess community needs, develop intervention strategies, and analyze outcomes. Lessons Learned: The MBM illustrates a Participatory Action Research approach to public health nursing education and practice. An exemplar of a working partnership is presented focusing on the implementation strategies of counseling, consultation, and health teaching. Partnerships between organizations with multiple players are always works in progress with multiple unknowns. Nursing faculty must consider commitment of time, energy, issues of trust, employee turnover, student rotations, and flexibility. Insights will be offered on how public health nursing faculty manage these challenges.

Recommendation: That the MBM be used to facilitate community placements where need takes precedence over the convenient and the familiar. This offers students the opportunity to learn social justice as they enhance the social capitol of the community.