Evaluation of a multischool collaborative COVID-19 vaccination project

To describe experiences of student nurses and faculty who participated in COVID-19 vaccine delivery through a multischool collaboration. Cross-sectional survey. Student nurses and faculty members from five university schools and colleges of nursing who participated in one or more COVID-19 vaccination or education events in 2021. Surveys were designed for students and faculty to document process and outcome experiences associated with project participation. Surveys were administered through an online survey platform. Overall, 648 students and 68 faculty members participated in the project. The evaluation survey was completed by 115 students (18%) and 58 faculty members (85%). Students valued increasing their clinical skills and reported the experience influenced their perspectives on nursing, fueling their passion and informing future career choices. Students reported that it was personally important to contribute to the vaccination effort. Few students reported challenges in participating in the project. Faculty reported positive experiences including gaining knowledge about public health and their communities, fueling their passion for nursing education, feeling a deeper connection with students, and experiencing personal satisfaction from contributing to the pandemic response. This project resulted in meaningful student learning opportunities, enhanced capacity for the public health emergency response, and strengthened partnerships among nursing programs and between academia and public health community partners.     

Developing community partnerships in nursing education for children's health

Community partnerships are central to educating nurses and providing much-needed services to underserved children in Baltimore City. Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) collaborates with Head Start programs and a local elementary school for faculty practice and child-health clinical Service Learning experiences. At local Head Start programs, undergraduate nursing students annually screen > 1000 children for height, weight, hearing, vision, and blood pressure. Results are sent to parents with referral information if indicated. In addition, graduate and baccalaureate nursing students implement skills and knowledge learned in the classroom in a nurse-run clinic in a local elementary school, a faculty practice site. The Service Learning community partnerships benefit nursing students because they can apply principles of growth and development while providing important health screening to children in underserved populations. All students gain from practicing in the community and applying their classroom instruction to the care of children.     

Community learning: the Reach for Health Nursing Program-Middle School Collaboration.

Nursing faculty and students have a vital role to play in promoting adolescent health at the community level. However, few nursing education programs have developed programs which provide nursing students with the skills and hands-on experiences they need to work with adolescents in community settings. A successful model for integrating community-based adolescent health promotion into nursing education is described in this article. Developed by nursing faculty from Medgar Evers College Department of Nursing, teachers and staff from a large middle school in Brooklyn, New York serving economically disadvantaged Black and Hispanic youth, and Education Development Center, Inc., the Reach for Health (RFH) Nursing Program-Middle School Collaboration has two mutually reinforcing components: (a) classroom-based health instruction taught by teachers with assistance from nursing students and faculty, and (b) community youth service in which middle school students spend approximately 3 hours per week providing assistance in health-related facilities under the guidance of nursing faculty and student nurse mentors. As part of an evaluation study, the authors conducted focus groups with nursing students involved in this program and administered an identical survey before and after intervention to assess potential benefits of participation. Compared to a control group of nursing students, those who participated in the RFH program reported increased skills and comfort working in school and community settings and with young adolescents, their teachers, and their parents. An example of other benefits was a greater understanding of the health and developmental needs of adolescents. At the same time they provided a service to the community, nursing students gained the skills and experience needed to be effective in community health promotion efforts.     

The clinical specialist in community health nursing: a solution for the 21st century

The clinical specialist (CS) in community health nursing (CHN) addresses health problems in populations and communities in ways that are different from and complimentary to strategies used by practitioners of individualized patient care. Four programs based on comprehensive assessments, systematic program planning, deliberate implementation, and both formative and summative evaluation are presented. The programs were developed by graduate students in the CHN clinical specialization major at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. With expert faculty guidance and a competency-driven program of study, strategies were implemented to promote the health of community-dwelling well elderly people, home health care nurses who provide service to patients with respiratory problems, and high school students in a private religious school. Experienced parish nurses also benefited from a program designed to enhance their skills in theological reflection. This article also describes the curricular design developed to educate this clinician for the 21st century. Lastly, continued attention to the dynamic criteria of the American Nurses Association Standards of Community Health Nursing Practice is recommended as crucial to the further development of this clinical specialization.     

Peanuts,Popcorn, and Pediatrics: School-Based Carnival for Health Promotion

A carnival themed health fair was designed to enhance a pediatric clinical experience through service learning in an undergraduate Associate degree nursing program. The goal of this pilot was to foster pediatric health promotion by connecting nursing students with elementary students classified as a vulnerable population. Senior nursing students created, designed, and implemented an interactive learning activity for 225 children. Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory was the framework utilized for project organization and development. Nursing faculty guided students in identifying issues specific to contemporary pediatric health concepts, but creative and artistic control was given to the student. Students utilized a web-based learning platform to document the journey for the project from inception to informal evaluation. Students achieved pediatric course and program outcomes by working collaboratively with the community in an innovative format. This school-based carnival offers a valued contribution for collaborative connections utilizing innovation and creative methods.     

Collaboration versus competition: results of an academic practice alliance

In 2002, a Community Academic Practice Alliance (CAPA) was forged between Marin County, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and local bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) nursing programs. This alliance has increased opportunities for DHHS to recruit new baccalaureate registered nurses, eliminated competition among universities for community health nursing (CHN) placements, enriched experiences for BSN students, and enhanced service to the community. This article describes the development process and examines preceptor, faculty, and student satisfaction. It also describes students' attitudes toward CHN and public health nursing, which increased significantly (p < .001, 95% confidence interval of 1.11-2.14). Process evaluation (17 Likert items, on a scale ranging from 1 [low] to 4 [high]) revealed a mean of 3.30 with a standard deviation of 0.328 suggesting CAPA members' satisfaction with the process. This project was presented at the American Public Health Association 131st annual meeting, San Francisco, California, November 2003.     

School Nursing Is Alive and Well in Kalamazoo,Thanks to Nazareth College Nursing Students

Kalamazoo, Michigan, public schools have not had nurses employed by the board of education for over a decade when nurses were cut from the school budget as an austerity measure. Approximately 26,000 school-age children live in Kalamazoo County, including a large inner-city, low-income population, many of whom have meager access to health care. Two part-time public health nurses provide consultation and limited direct services. Nazareth College's commitment to community service has resulted in the placement of nursing students in elementary school settings. The nursing faculty orients the students and takes responsibility for their experience. These students have planned and implemented health-promotion projects that have been well received. Suicide prevention, disaster response, nutrition, and personal hygiene are examples of topics. The challenge for school nursing is as great today as it was in 1902 when Lillian Wald first identified a need for school nurses. Through this program, the students are gaining rich experience, increased independence, and a sense of helping to meet a community need as they meet their own learning needs in community health nursing.     

Building Community Health Nursing in the People''s Republic of China: A Partnership Between Schools of Nursing in Ottawa, Canada, and Tianjin, China

Community health nursing in China is an emerging specialty. A multi-component collaborative endeavor between the Schools of Nursing of Tianjin Medical University, China, and the University of Ottawa, Canada is described. This project, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, commenced in 1989. It has laid the groundwork for an expanded role for community health nurses in Tianjin, a municipality of 11 million people located in Northeast China. The historical context for the evolution of community health nursing in China and the emergence of community health nursing as a priority area within the project are described. Major project activities are highlighted, illustrating several underlying principles for strengthening the educational preparation of baccalaureate nurses who can apply community health skills. These include creating a critical mass of faculty who can teach community health nursing, modelling classroom and clinical teaching of community health nursing, bridging the gap between nursing in the community and nursing, in the hospital, and developing a prototype for baccalaureate community health nursing experience. Lessons learned from this initiative are summarized.     

The San Francisco Collaborative: An Evaluation of a Partnership Between Three Schools of Nursing and a Public Health Department

ABSTRACT Many factors are contributing to a decline in the number of nurses who opt to choose public health nursing as a career option. One factor is the lack of preceptors in public health, which has led to the placement of nursing students in nontraditional clinical settings. Thus, many nursing students are not exposed to public health nursing while still in school. Graduating students may not have a clear idea of what a public health nurse is or does. The purpose of the study was to describe a collaborative project between three schools of nursing aimed at increasing interest in public health nursing among undergraduate nursing students. The study method involved analysis of student, faculty, and staff feedback received after an orientation to public health nursing. Nursing students found the experience valuable. Participation in the collaborative project has increased clinical experiences for nursing students in public health, increased exposure of nursing students to public health nursing, and has led to opportunities for both students and faculty within an urban public health department.     

A collaborative endeavor to educate community nurses in Guangzhou, China

A collaborative endeavor was initiated between a Hong Kong school of nursing and a school of health in Guangzhou to develop a prevention-focused community nursing educational program. The collaboration aims were to increase the ability and confidence of Guangzhou nurses in performing their community healthcare roles and to train local community health nursing trainers in Guangzhou. The collaborating parties participated in a series of review for planning the teaching team, the taught subjects in the curriculum, the education approach, the student assessment and the train the trainer scheme for the program. The program was developed after the review, planning and implementation phases. This collaboration provided the groundwork for the education of community nurses in Guangzhou and developed local trainers in community health nursing; it enhanced understanding of the present status of community health nursing for both the school of health and the students; and it provided a reference for others that may collaborate with institutions in the People's Republic of China to initiate or strengthen educational programs to build up community health nursing.     

The integrative clinical preceptor model: a new method for teaching undergraduate community health nursing

The Integrative Clinical Preceptor Model was designed to provide a framework for undergraduate clinical education in community health nursing. The model is based on reciprocal collaboration between students, preceptors, and faculty. Implementation of the model has resulted in individualized, population-focused experiences for students based on the principles of service-learning, empowered preceptors who are able to increase their scope of service, and increased productivity for the faculty in research and scholarship. The authors describe the collaborative partnership between a school of nursing and nurses in community health settings that has resulted in excellent clinical experiences for undergraduate nursing students.     

A unique strategy for pediatric community health nursing for ADN students.

Students were overwhelmingly positive when given the opportunity to evaluate the pilot project and the model of pediatric community health nursing. According to the students, the strong points of the model were the orientation before the community experience, the presence of faculty of the community, the ability to contact faculty when needed, and the postclinical conference. The students' comments confirmed the faculty's belief that a clinical experience in community health nursing must place more emphasis on the specialty of community health nursing to be meaningful for students. To do the of job of educating tomorrow's nurses, ADN faculty should develop new strategies for teaching the pediatric clinical component of community health nursing. Clearly, hospitals are no longer the exclusive sites where students learn about patient and family needs and nursing care delivery. Community-based and community-focused experiences will continue to be required so that nursing students are prepared to practice in a dynamic and changing healthcare environment.     

Population-focused practice: introduction to baccalaureate-level nursing students

This article describes a clinical nursing experience which introduces baccalaureate students to population-focused practice in the community. The importance of such practice in community health nursing is discussed as is the rationale for including it at the undergraduate level. An overview of how the experience fits within the baccalaureate nursing curriculum is presented. Individual and group student responsibilities are outlined, explaining the structure of this nursing experience. Student projects with two groups--the well elderly and the school-aged are described to illustrate the clinical experience. Finally, an evaluation of the experience is presented which indicates that it has benefits for clients, community health nurses, students and faculty.     

Collaborative learning among undergraduate students in community health nursing

Teamwork can benefit students, enhancing their ability to think critically, solve problems creatively, and collaborate effectively. We piloted a collaborative learning project with undergraduate community health nursing students (N = 83) that entailed working in teams to explore epidemiologic data, synthesize the literature, and develop an evidence-based plan for nursing intervention and evaluation pertaining to a public health issue. Project evaluation consisted of pre- and post-project surveys by students, peer evaluation, and formative and summative evaluation by faculty. Having students work in teams, while challenging both for faculty and students, may be a viable strategy for preparing the next generation of nurses for inter- and intraprofessional collaboration. Our experience suggests that instituting a collaborative learning experience as part of an undergraduate course in community health nursing can be an effective way to expose students to constructive approaches to teamwork and prepare them for evidence-based nursing practice in the future.     

A community-oriented primary care nursing model in an international setting that emphasizes partnerships

PURPOSE: To present an interdisciplinary, community-oriented primary care nursing model that effectively draws upon the strengths of advanced practice nurses (APNs), both nurse practitioners and community health nurses. DATA SOURCES: Articles in professional nursing journals, international data sources, and the clinical experiences of the authors, both domestic and international. CONCLUSIONS: The model, developed domestically, was utilized successfully by APNs internationally in a medical mission endeavor in rural Haiti. Many partners, domestic and Haitian, worked as an interdisciplinary team to deliver quality health care to an impoverished population. Graduate nursing students participated in the program, which offered opportunities and challenges for both novice and expert nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurse practitioners, community health nurses, and nursing faculty members can use this model to enhance their professional practice. They can learn that clients can be optimally cared for whether the community served is domestic or international. Nursing faculty can teach graduate nursing students about the value of partnerships and collaboration.     

School nursing in an underserved multiethnic Asian community: experiences and outcomes

Based on an Asian faculty's previous work, University of South Alabama College of Nursing conducted a project targeting the Asian population in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The Helene Fuld Health Trust, HSBC, Trustee funded the project to demonstrate effective models for involving nursing students and faculty members in community-based practice. This project provided health services and developed educational programs for this underserved population. To facilitate entry into the Asian community, the College established clinical sites at 2 schools in Bayou La Batre that had the highest concentration of Asians in Mobile County's public school system. The purpose of the project was to develop a new curriculum, to involve nursing students in community-based practice, and to provide health care services in the community. The health services, educational programs, and community instructional activities generated substantial outcomes for the targeted population as well as nursing students. Nursing students learned to assess aggregates, plan, and evaluate interventions. The learning outcomes of the nursing students were evaluated using objectives developed in accordance with Bloom's (1956) Taxonomy. The project not only complemented and expanded existing school health services and programs but also filled the void in some health service and program areas. Preliminary evaluation of the project revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the nursing students and Bayou La Batre school teachers. This article also explores the implications of the newly issued "National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care" for nursing education in the contexts of the Census 2000 and the megatrend of globalization.     

Development of human resources in nursing: a collaborative initiative in CPR

BACKGROUND: An international collaborative project between Jordanian and Canadian University nursing faculty was developed to enhance staff development for practicing nurses in Jordan. A needs assessment indicated a lack of knowledge and performance among staff nurses in emergency situations. METHOD: Using the "train-the-trainer" concept, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) workshops were organized and implemented in three government and one military hospital. University faculty developed and conducted the first workshops when local trainers were prepared to provide the program in their institutions. RESULTS: Local trainers currently provide CPR workshops on an ongoing basis in their institutions. To date, 10 hospitals and one health center have requested CPR workshops for nursing staff. CONCLUSION: The CPR workshops met the needs of the hospital nursing community and strengthened the partnership between the university faculty and local community staff nurses.     

Articulating the Culture and Tradition of Community Health Nursing

While community health nursing (CHN) leaders speculate about the future, nurses on the front lines care for vulnerable families and populations in the midst of diminishing resources, radical changes in health care delivery systems, and unwieldy bureaucracies. Narrative data from a recent interpretive study provided an unexpected opportunity to explore how CHN practice in diverse settings is evolving in response to such changes. Data consisted of interviews and observations of 25 nurses in their practice setting. Several clinical stories or exemplars are selected to highlight how the "culture" of agency settings shapes public health nursing (PHN) practice in ways that need to be recognized and strengthened or affirmed. Clinical storytelling can play a crucial role in preserving the PHN tradition and restoring and transforming local cultures when PHNs, administrators, educators, and researchers commit to PHN excellence.     

Promoting critical appraisal of the research literature: a workshop for school nurses

To promote healthy lifestyles and prevent youth obesity, school nurses collaborate with teachers and other professionals to implement effective health promotion activities (e.g., physical fitness initiatives and nutrition education). Critical appraisal of relevant, published literature is an essential competency for school nurses engaged in health promotion within their schools. A 1-day continuing education workshop was conducted to enhance literature appraisal skills needed for evidence-based practice among school nurses employed within one urban school district. Forty-six school nurses, students, and other professionals attended this workshop and participated in appraisals of selected research articles. Although the attendees rated the faculty and content highly, their intent to apply the findings to practice was limited. Applying a critical appraisal approach to the literature focused on youth obesity prevention and health promotion was innovative for educating school nurses in this process while helping them choose whether and how existing literature may be applied to their practice. Nurse educators and faculty may replicate this process with school nurses or other nursing specialties.     

Partnering with schools: a win-win experience

In many states, budget cuts have influenced school systems to question whether school nurses are necessary. Consequently, many schools no longer have a nurse to coordinate school health services. Creighton University School of Nursing saw this situation as an opportunity. Using schools as clinical sites for nursing students has resulted in positive outcomes for all involved. Competencies successfully demonstrated by nursing students have included understanding concepts of health and illness, identification of strategies to promote and protect the school-age population, and the ability to provide population-focused prevention within the community. Faculty think the school population is healthier and school personnel have increased knowledge of health promotion and protection strategies for school-age children as a result of the school health project. The education provided serves to promote the well-being of students, families, and the community and prepares them to make health-related choices. The project has also resulted in health benefits for the community.