Assessing Planetary Health Curricular Needs Across Health Professions Programs.

With growing recognition that climate change is a significant threat to human health, allied health professionals are increasingly recognized as critical allies in addressing this threat. This article describes the approach that Rush University's College of Sciences is pursuing to better prepare health sciences students for this reality. Faculty and students enrolled across all programs of the College were surveyed regarding their levels of concern about global warming using items from the Six Americas Survey, as well as perceived importance of planetary health curricular elements adapted from the Planetary Health Report Card. Faculty were additionally asked about perceived opportunities to bring planetary health education into each of the degree programs offered by the university. A total of 37 faculty and 43 students completed the survey, collectively representing all programs in the college. Responses reflected widespread interest in expanding planetary health education, but topic priorities and optimal methods for implementation differed between programs. Although the survey process had limitations, it demonstrated the need for greater attention to planetary health across curricula and offered more efficient approaches implementing this essential content across programs.

Turning Concern Into Confidence: Planetary Health Needs in Nursing Education.

BACKGROUND: Climate change is a recognized global threat to human health, and nurses must be prepared to mitigate its negative effects. This article describes nursing student and faculty opinions about climate change and associated planetary health curricular needs. METHOD: A survey including the Six Americas Super Short Survey and an adaptation of the Planetary Health Report Card was developed and emailed to nursing students and faculty. RESULTS: Student (n = 72) and faculty (n = 56) responses showed that although they were concerned about climate change, they were not confident in preparation of nurses student to climate change and its impact. Students and faculty shared perceptions about specific curricular areas are to be included in curricula. CONCLUSION: In response to the updated Essentials, which include specific reference to climate change, widespread curricular change is imminent in nursing education. This study offers insight for integrating climate change and planetary health into nursing curricula. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(3):178-181.].

Broadcast health: Leveraging YouTube for community health education.

OBJECTIVE: In community health, there is great demand but limited time for the delivery of staff and patient education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving needs necessitated that health education be provided in an accurate and timely manner. This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a YouTube channel designed to disseminate health education to a wide audience of public health workers and patient populations. METHODS: This project, divided into three phases, originated within shelter-based care, providing education to shelter staff (Phase 1) and overtime has evolved to provide education within the Community Health Worker Hub at a major teaching hospital for community health workers (Phase 2) and the populations they serve (Phase 3). Further, during phase 3, the project developer used an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to increase the reach of the YouTube channel. RESULTS: Over a span of 21 months, 18 unique videos have garnered 489 views. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians and educators can leverage technology platforms for health education delivery, increasing the reach of their work while meeting the demands of the profession. While the quality of some information on YouTube may be poor, patients and students turn to this platform for health education. It is imperative that public health nurses embrace this medium, rather than push against it. By creating high-quality content, educating students and patients about DISCERN and PEMAT tools, and guiding patients to credible sources, public health nurses may ameliorate the standards of health education on YouTube.

A Supportive Heart Failure Care Program to Reduce Hospital Readmissions.

In the United States, heart failure (HF) is the leading reason for hospital readmissions, with 27% of Medicare recipients with HF being readmitted within 30 days The purpose of this quality improvement project was to decrease HF readmissions during their first 30 days of care with our home health agency. The Supportive Heart Failure Care education program was based on the results of a population assessment and included establishment of agency-wide best practices, nursing education sessions, and implementation of best practices focused on evidence-based self-management. After implementation of this project, the hospital readmission rate decreased from 32% to 21%. The nurses who completed the education sessions (N = 35) showed an increase in knowledge of 4.1% from pre-test scores. However, chart audits showed varying levels of documented practice in alignment with best practices. Although results of this project showed a small improvement in nurse knowledge and varied changes to documented practice, the overall project goal of decreasing hospital readmissions was achieved. Understanding individual and systems-level barriers to translating education to practice is needed to better meet the needs of home health nurses and the HF patients they serve.

Development and Validation of an Operational Model for Nursing Academic-Practice Partnerships.

BACKGROUND: Several definitions and guiding principles for nursing academic-practice partnerships exist. PROBLEM: There remains a gap between academic-practice partnership definitions and practical operational models, thereby limiting schools of nursing ability to engage in productive partnerships. This article describes the development and validation of a novel Operational Model for Nursing Academic-Practice Partnerships. APPROACH: An email survey of all nursing faculty (n = 228) identified quantity and types of faculty-led academic-practice partnerships. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed via thematic analysis conducted by 2 members of the project team and validated by the full project team. OUTCOMES: The Operational Model for Academic-Practice Partnerships was created and is comprised of 8 partnership strategies: innovation, embedded faculty, joint appointment, consultant, independent practice, volunteer, scholarship, and clinical site development. CONCLUSION: We offer this model as a framework to structure the development, implementation, and evaluation of academic-practice partnerships at nursing schools.

DNP-PhD Collaboration in NINR-Funded Physical Activity Trials: A Series of Case Studies.

Collaboration between Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholars and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) scholars is crucial to efficiently advance and disseminate nursing science. Also, DNP-PhD collaboration can help achieve priorities outlined in the recent National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) Strategic Plan. The purpose of this series of case studies is to describe exemplars of ongoing DNP-PhD collaborations across three NINR-funded trials (1 completed, 2 ongoing) testing physical activity interventions for women at risk for cardiovascular disease. In our three physical activity intervention trials for women, we categorized examples of DNP-PhD collaboration by the four phases of the team-based research model (development, conceptualization, implementation, and translation). Across all three trials, DNP and PhD scholars contributed successfully to all phases of research in an iterative manner. Future work should focus on expanding DNP-PhD collaboration in behavioral trials, which can inform adapted, contemporary models of iterative DNP-PhD collaboration.

Supporting and Establishing Gender and Sexuality Alliances in Chicago Public Schools.

School nurses are uniquely positioned to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) students. One approach is involvement in Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs). GSAs have been found to improve outcomes for LGBTQ students. The purposes of this quality improvement project were to build infrastructure for GSAs by implementing a GSA Support Plan including a digital resource binder, GSA advisor trainings, and establishment of an Advisor Leadership Committee and increase the number of schools with a GSA. The binder was distributed electronically to 95 advisors. Forty-nine participants attending virtual trainings. A statistically significant increase in all measures of participant confidence occurred between the pre- and post-training surveys. The Advisor Leadership Committee was established. This paper adds to the literature by showing that support for GSAs is important to aiding LGBTQ students. Further, authors suggest ways in which school nurses can harness their expertise to be involved with GSAs.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Academic-Practice Partnerships: Implications for Nursing Education.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected academic-practice partnerships in multiple ways. This article examines how the pandemic affected partnerships at one college of nursing. METHOD: A survey on the effects of COVID-19 on academic-practice partnerships was sent to all faculty (n = 228). Data were analyzed using a mixed-method approach. RESULTS: Of 69 surveys that were completed, 38 faculty reported 52 unique partnerships during the 2019-2020 academic year. Of the 52 partnerships, 63% (n = 33) had changed and 12% (n = 6) were newly established partnerships in response to COVID-19. Common changes included temporary suspension of activities (n = 13) and a change (n = 9) or decrease (n = 7) in activities. Major themes included clinical disruptions and transitioning to telehealth and online services. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 created challenges for academic-practice partnerships but also generated opportunities for nursing education to contribute to the pandemic response and meet evolving population and organizational needs. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(9):533-536.].

Achieving Health Equity for LGBTQ+ Adolescents.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) adolescent population experiences health disparities due to barriers to care, including lack of access to culturally competent health care providers. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase access to culturally competent care through continuing education, a physical makeover of clinic space, and a social marketing campaign. The impact of the project on the number of LGBTQ+ adolescent patients at the clinic and the rate of documentation of sexual orientation and gender identity data was evaluated via a chart audit. Changes in nurses' and health care providers' knowledge as a result of the continuing education were evaluated with a pretest and a posttest. The number of LGBTQ+ patients and provider knowledge increased following the continuing education. Sexual orientation and gender identity data were documented during 87.5% of visits. The participants' knowledge increased by 4.7% following the continuing education. Further, five physical changes to the clinic were completed and a social marketing campaign was launched. This quality improvement project demonstrates that continuing education can be an effective way to increase cultural competence for the care of LGBTQ+ individuals. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(8):348-354.].

An Integrative Review of College Readiness Programs for Black High School Students; Opportunities for School Nurse Involvement.

Education is associated with improved health outcomes. However, fewer non-Hispanic Black Americans earn high school diplomas, baccalaureate, or advanced degrees than White Americans, placing them at higher risk for poor health outcomes. Racial disparities in education have been linked to social injustice and structural racism. Through the Framework for the 21st Century School Nursing PracticeTM, school nurses can impact academic success and college readiness for Black youth. An integrative review of the literature was conducted to describe programs to promote college readiness for Black high school students and evaluate school nurse involvement. Findings of the eighteen unique studies included in this review were: programs included mostly female participants, and most yielded improvements in students' non-cognitive skills (i.e. sense of belonging/confidence) and college knowledge. None of the programs included school nurse involvement. School nurses can advocate for anti-racist college readiness programs with intentional, asset-based approaches to position youth for success in college.

A School Wellness Partnership to Address Childhood Obesity.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a complex public health issue that requires community and environmental factors be addressed. Efforts to combat childhood obesity must be multifaceted and include community-based partnerships. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this paper is to describe a partnership between a county health department and a local school district to address childhood obesity. METHODS: As part of a formal School Wellness Partnership, a nutrition and physical activity program was designed to meet the needs of a school community. The program included parent and teacher education, school-wide messaging and take-home activities. LESSONS LEARNED: The partnership generated positive program outcomes, including increased teacher knowledge and confidence and parental knowledge regarding healthy childhood behaviors. Lessons learned included the importance of resource sharing and building a stronger program with mutual partner benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Community partnerships can lead to expanding health outreach and building community capacity to promote health through collaborative program development efforts.

School Nurse Job Descriptions in Urban Districts: Alignment With the Framework for 21st-Century School Nursing Practice.

It is recommended that every student has daily access to a school nurse and that school nurses work in alignment with the Framework for 21st-Century School Nursing Practice (Framework). Little is known about Framework alignment with school nursing practice. The purpose of this study is to describe the alignment between the Framework and school nurse job descriptions in large, urban school districts across the United States. Using content analysis, with a directed approach, researchers used the Framework to analyze school nurse job descriptions for 16 school districts, analyzing 375 individual job responsibilities. The majority of job responsibilities reviewed (86%) were related to principles within the care coordination and community/public health nursing component, while job responsibilities within the key principles of leadership and quality improvement components were limited (14%). The Framework can be a useful tool to guide school nurse practice and however needs to be intentionally brought into job descriptions.

Impact of COVID-19 on public health nursing student learning outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of a strong, effective public health nursing workforce while also requiring public health nursing faculty to adapt teaching strategies as courses transitioned online. It is essential to understand how the pandemic-enforced transition from face-to-face to remote learning impacts student outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to compare student learning outcomes in a pre-licensure public health nursing course before, during, and after the transition to remote learning. METHODS: Descriptive statistics were computed for assignments, exams, and final course grades for three terms (Fall 2019, Spring 2020 and Fall 2020). RESULTS: Analysis showed statistically significant differences between terms for assignments and exams but not the final course grade. However, these differences were driven by small standard deviations rather than differences between mean scores demonstrating that there was actual little difference in student learning outcomes across terms. CONCLUSIONS: Authors suggest strategies to support consistent academic outcomes and future research needed understand student learning outcomes during the pandemic; ultimately building the public health nursing workforce necessary to address the current and future public health crises.

Development of a School Health Policy Implementation Survey: A Delphi Study.

Data on school health policy implementation are limited due to the absence of a validated measurement tool. The purpose of this study was to create and pilot a school health policy implementation survey. A modified, four-round Delphi process was used to achieve consensus on content and format of the survey. The final 76-item survey was piloted in 655 schools with a return rate of 57.1% (n = 378). Seven schools participated in environmental audits. Based on the audits, survey responses represented an accurate description of school practices for 84.2% (n = 64) of questions. The remaining 15.8% (n = 12) of survey items were eliminated or revised. This measurement tool begins to fill the research gap between the evaluation of written school health policy and implementation. Further, this tool may be used by school nurses in alignment with the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice.

From the Classroom to the Virtual World: Faculty Response to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced nursing educators to switch face-to-face courses to virtual learning. This article describes how faculty transitioned a face-to-face public health nursing course to remote learning and examines student response to this transition. METHOD: Data were collected via a 12-question REDCap survey. Using a mixed-methods design, descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data, and a descriptive qualitative approach was used for qualitative data analysis. RESULTS: Survey response rate was 35% (n = 26). Using a 4-point Likert scale, mean question score was 3.55 (range, 2.65 to 3.85). Themes within the transition facilitator category included emotional support for students, communication, availability, flexibility, and course organization. Themes within the transition challenges category included examinations, course-to-course communication, COVID-19 course content, and technology. CONCLUSION: It is essential for nursing educators to learn from the emergency transition of spring 2020 to capitalize on successes and mitigate challenges moving forward. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(9):509-512.].

Faculty perspectives on transitioning public health nursing clinical to virtual in response to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for public health nursing as an integral part of a strong public health workforce. However, it has also created challenges in preparing future nurses as much of nursing instruction, including clinical experiences, needed to urgently transition learning to a virtual environment. This paper describes the process faculty experienced during spring 2020 to quickly transition public health nursing clinicals from in-person to virtual learning in response to COVID-19. Further, faculty lessons learned are shared and include the importance of creating a supportive team dynamic, embracing innovation, continuing to engage with community partners, and adapting to meet emerging student needs during the evolving pandemic. The process and lessons learned may act as a guide for other nursing programs as we continue to navigate nursing education during this and future pandemics.

A scholarly concentration program to promote public health nursing for generalist Clinical Nurse Leader students.

BACKGROUND: The number of public health nurses has decreased consistently and significantly since the 1920's. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the need for more public health nurses in the workforce. The number of novice nurses entering into public health roles is declining, demonstrating a clear need to mentor pre-licensure nursing students into the public health nursing workforce. Scholarly concentration (SC) programs are a method to explore specialty roles through in-depth scholarly activities, outside of core curriculum. However, SC programs have not been described in the nursing literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a SC program to engage pre-licensure Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) students in scholarly activities related to public health nursing. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: This Public Health Nurse Scholars program was developed in 2014 with the goal of developing a cadre of generalist CNL students with experiences in public health nursing scholarly activities. The program aimed to increase awareness of career and scholarship opportunities through mentorship with public health nursing faculty. Students were encouraged to attend and present at professional conferences, participate in active scholarly projects and conduct quality improvement projects from a public health nursing perspective. The program was designed to foster students' public health nursing leadership and presentation skills and enhance their self-directed learning. RESULTS: To date, 46 pre-licensure nursing students were selected as Public Health Nurse Scholars. Sixty-seven percent (n = 31) have graduated as Public Health Nurse Scholars; 33% (n = 15) are current Public Health Nurse Scholars. Twelve public health nursing faculty have served as mentors. As a result of the program 15 scholars attended and 3 scholars presented respectively at community/public health nursing conferences, and several scholars had related professional development opportunities. A majority of Public Health Nurse Scholars have designed and implemented a capstone quality improvement project with a public health nursing perspective, 15 of which were completed at community-based sites. CONCLUSIONS: In the face of our current global, public health crisis, there is a clear need to develop a cadre of novice nurses prepared to enter the public health nursing workforce. The Public Health Nurse Scholars program shows promise towards encouraging an interest in public health nursing scholarship. Schools of nursing may consider the implementation of similar SC programs as an approach to mentor pre-licensure nurses in other specialty areas such as gerontological and neonatal nursing.

Engaging the School Community in a Nutrition and Physical Activity Program: The Role of the 21st-Century School Nurse.

Childhood obesity is an important public health issue that can affect child health and academic outcomes. Schools are essential in promoting healthy childhood behaviors through the implementation of programs that reach the whole school community. School nurses can play a key role in designing, implementing, and evaluating feasible strategies, including school-based nutrition and physical activity messaging programs, that meet school-specific needs. This article will explain how school nurses can utilize principles of the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice™ to design programs that engage the whole school community while addressing implementation barriers.

Teen pregnancy in Chicago: Who is at risk?

BACKGROUND: Teenage pregnancy, with its associated health and social consequences for young people and society as a whole, is one of the nation's most important public health issues. The purpose of this study was to use Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data describe self-reported, pregnancy experiences in 9-12th grade Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students and identify teens at highest risk based on gender, grade-level, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of the 2017 CPS high school Youth Risk Behavior Survey was conducted. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 73% (n = 1,883). 4.9% (n = 91) of CPS students in grades 9 - 12 reported a pregnancy experience, and 1.9% (n = 34) reported being "unsure" of a pregnancy experience. Statistically significant differences in the likelihood of self-reporting a pregnancy experience were found based on grade level (p = .000), race (p = .023), and sexual orientation (p = .000). CONCLUSION: While risk for a teen pregnancy experience varies across all groups, public health nurses can use YRBS data to better understand pregnancy risk in the populations they serve and can leverage core competencies, and robust community relationships to adapt, implement and evaluate evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs for maximum impact on teens at greatest risk.