Innovation in Public-Health Nursing Education: A Survey of Student Acquisition of Core Knowledge and Competencies

Historically, baccalaureate nursing education programs have collaborated with public health departments in facilitating community/public health clinical learning opportunities for students (Broussard, 2011). Recent changes in funding for community and public health services (Broussard, 2011), along with increased competition for clinical placements (Van Doren & Vander Werf, 2012; Keller, Schaffer, Schoon, Brueshoff, & Jost, 2011) have resulted in fewer public health sector placements for students. Community/public health nursing faculty have subsequently been challenged to identify clinical education opportunities that allow students to participate in the delivery of essential public health functions (Institute of Medicine, 2002), and to acquire core knowledge and basic competencies related to nursing and public health as identified by the Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (2010). These challenges, however, have created opportunities for the development of clinical partnerships with non-health sector community organizations where students have the opportunity to apply the theory and science of population health and public health nursing. The development of new partnerships is supported by the recent IOM (2011) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change and Advancing Health, which challenged health professionals to create non-traditional and innovative care models among academia, communities, and businesses.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate student (n=26) perceptions of the effectiveness of a collaborative partnership among a university, not-for-profit organization providing employment opportunities for individuals who are underserved, and the organization’s health insurance broker.  This partnership served as the basis of a nontraditional community-based clinical placement for undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a community/public health-nursing course. The innovative partnership focused on an integrated workplace health promotion program for an underserved population who were employed in retail and custodial service settings. Using the Workplace Health Model (CDC, 2012), the undergraduate nursing students assumed roles in the assessment, development, and evaluation of a workplace health promotion program aimed at the identification and reduction of health risks both in and out of the workplace. The student-designed interventions specifically focused on navigation of the health system, promoting use of preventative health services, and health education to prevent and manage chronic disease. Using a survey methodology, students participating in the initiative during the semester reported on their perception of acquisition of core community/public health nursing knowledge and skill competencies gained through this non-traditional clinical learning experience. The core competencies under investigation were communication, epidemiology, community/population assessment, health promotion and risk reduction, illness and disease management, information and health care technology, environmental health, human diversity, ethics and social justice, and care coordination. Data were collected over six semesters. Quantitative findings suggested student acquisition of knowledge and skills in key competency areas including communication, health promotion and risk reduction,  and human diversity.  Qualitative data supported the benefits of this clinical placement as an excellent opportunity to enhance student learning in a community/public health nursing course. This study also suggests that using the core competencies of public health nursing is a useful tool in evaluating appropriate clinical education.