Re-envisioning the public health nursing practicum: Assessment, advocacy, and partnership through the Tobacco free campus initiative

Background/ Issue: Public health remains a cornerstone of baccalaureate nursing education despite increasing constraints on practicum hours afforded in university programs for immersion, reflection, and practice in the core practices of public health.  Nursing faculty face significant challenges in producing meaningful opportunities for engaging students with community partners in assessment, policy development, and assurance activities within the scope of a ten-week quarter. Description: This presentation describes a partnership between the Tacoma Free Alliance of Pierce County and the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) Nursing and Healthcare Leadership program to promote a tobacco-free campus policy initiative. Utilizing the Mobilizing Action through Planning and Partnerships model, undergraduate students in their public health practicum engaged in assessment activities, collaborated with the campus student health and wellness center, examined campus policy development processes, and planned assurance activities. Lessons Learned: The tobacco free campus initiative presents a unique opportunity for Nursing schools to engage students in public health nursing and the core practices of public health. Partnership with other undergraduate leaders and across disciplinary boundaries is important for both faculty and students. Weekly leadership from community partners was a powerful pedagogical component to instruction. Urban campus environments such as UWT have a larger variety of affected communities and potential partnerships than more traditional university settings. Implications/recommendations: National policy initiatives that involve the many groups associated with campus communities as a center for practicum activities may provide fertile ground for inspiring public health nursing students and advancing the work of public health.