Matching a Graduate Curriculum in Public/Community Health Nursing to Practice Competencies: The Rush University Experience

Abstract

An evidence-based approach to Public/Community Health Nursing (P/CHN) requires that P/CHN educators prepare practitioners with the relevant skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Such education should be competency-based and have measurable outcomes to demonstrate student preparation. In 2003, the Quad Council competencies were developed to be applied at two levels of public health nursing practice: the staff nurse/generalist role and the manager/specialist/consultant role. This paper describes a process for evaluation and revision of a graduate curriculum to prepare Advanced Practice Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) in P/CHN, to ensure that the educational program addresses and develops knowledge and proficiency in all relevant competencies. This paper documents the process of integrating the competencies throughout the P/CHN graduate curriculum at varying levels, guiding students to achieve proficiency in each competency by the end of the program. Measurement of achievement in these competencies will be discussed, and examples provided. Advanced Practice Public Health Nurses educated via this competency-based approach will be prepared to sit for national certification as a CNS in Public/Community Health, and to assume leadership roles in public health nursing.

The evaluation of public health nursing students’ skill achievement levels by educational improvement

“…The Education Committee of the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (), Carter, Kaiser, O'Hare, and Callister, ), and Swider et al. () all mention the need for the use of competencies and standards in educational evaluations. A review of the literature on studies from 2004 to 2013 that comprehensively evaluated undergraduate education using PHN competencies and standards revealed studies conducted in undergraduates in Japan (Ishii et al., ; Narahashi et al., ; Suzuki, Arai, Tsuno, Minotani, & Sugimoto, ; Tanuma, Sasaki, Morita, Arai, & Takizawa, ), Canada (Diem & Moyer, ), and the United Kingdom (Poulton & McCammon, ).…”

Meanings of knowledge and identity in public health nursing in a time of transition: interpretations of public health nurses’ narratives

“…An increased demand exists for instrumental skills in nursing , and the use of standards and protocols has become more common in public health nursing. Because health care is based on scientific evidence , there is a greater focus on standardised tasks and expectations rather than on clinical judgement in situations. The use of evidence‐based standardised protocols and techniques has been questioned.…”

Nursing Leadership and Health Policy

“…I and my colleague Dr. Pamela Levin have received three consecutive Health Resources and Services Administration grants (2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013) through the advanced education in nursing mechanism to support work to ensure that the Rush University curriculum was based on the national competencies for Public Health Nursing; to put the program online so that Public Health Nurses (PHNs) from across the country could access specialty study at the APHN level; to recruit nurses from underrepresented minority groups into the program; and to move the program to the practice doctorate level (Swider et al, 2006;Swider et al, 2009). The role of Erie was to bring quality primary care into communities and to partner with our communities to promote health.…”