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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a literature review about the breadth of risks for acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV) among women who are living in the United States. Design: A mixed research synthesis of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed‐methods studies guided by the Socioecological Model and Theory of Gender and Power. Sample and Analytic Strategy: The sample consisted of 29 studies: 10 qualitative, 18 quantitative, and one mixed‐methods studies. Data were analyzed using a segregated approach and integrated into a narrative synthesis of themes by components of the Socioecological Model. Results: Individual risks themes were drug use as a coping strategy, transition to injection drug use, and lack of awareness about HCV. Interpersonal risks themes were social norms of drug use and drug use and sexual activities. Community risks themes were community re‐entry, housing instability, and community HCV resources. Societal risks themes are policies affecting drug markets and social construct of "worthlessness." Conclusions: Findings highlight the need for comprehensive gender‐specific HCV prevention strategies built around harm reduction. In partnership with women with lived experience, public health nurses can apply findings to build harm reduction collaborations aimed at implementing HCV risk‐reduction or risk‐elimination strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe types of strategic actions nurses take to promote environmental justice (EJ) through research, education, advocacy, and practice (REAP) reported in peer‐reviewed literature. Design and Sample: A scoping review of literature was conducted that described EJ nursing strategies and included nurses listed as authors, subjects, partners, or organizational members. The sample consisted of 35 articles, representing 24 primary research studies and 11 nonresearch articles. Data were separately analyzed by research and nonresearch articles for a clearer understanding of evidence‐based strategies within domains of REAP. Results: Articles in the sample highlighted the importance of authentic community partnership and represented diversity of nursing strategies that addressed a range of environmental exposures and subsequent health and racial inequities. Climate justice, a concept that emerged from the EJ movement and intersects with planetary health, is a recent focus in professional nursing. Conclusions: This scoping review establishes an understanding of the extent of nursing knowledge and research in EJ and lays the groundwork for further research on effective EJ nursing strategies. Community‐Based Participatory Research/Participatory Action Research methods are fundamental for EJ research, and further theoretical development is needed to guide evaluation of EJ nursing strategies for education, advocacy, and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence, characteristics, and gender differences among people aged 15–44 years who are living with current HCV infections in the United States. Design and sample: We conducted a cross‐sectional, secondary data analysis using data from people who participated in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles in 2009–2018. Measurements: Sociodemographic, social behavior, and clinical factors that had been identified as related to having HCV, barriers to receiving HCV screening, care, or treatment, and health conditions that increase the risks of developing HCV‐related complications were studied. A weighted‐data analysis approach was used to generate descriptive statistics. Results: The estimated, weighted prevalence of current HCV infections was 0.3% (95% CI, 0.2–0.4), representing approximately 363,161 people (95% CI, 301,402–424, 920). Females were more likely than males to have an unknown risk factor and reported worse overall health. Males were more likely to have comorbidities such as obesity or diabetes that put them at risk for developing life‐threatening complications. Conclusions: Increased public health attention with gender‐specific actions are needed to address the health needs of the thousands of people aged 15–44 years who are living with current HCV infections across the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The opioid epidemic and rising rates of injection drug use are increasing the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among pregnant people. According to national clinical guidelines, pregnant people should be universally tested for HIV and HBV, and risk-based tested for HCV. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion and characteristics of prenatal HIV, HBV, and HCV testing and diagnosis among pregnant people with Wisconsin Medicaid coverage between 2011 and 2015. Methods: Wisconsin birth certificates and Medicaid enrollment data were used to identify the sample. Standard billing and diagnosis codes were used to assess study variables. Data for each pregnancy were analyzed to describe the proportion of pregnancies that had evidence of testing, diagnoses, and yearly trends. Results: Of the 78,917 pregnancies, prenatal testing estimates were 67% for HIV, 73% for HBV, and 6% for HCV. The estimated rate of infections during the study period was 1.82 for HIV, 2.09 for HBV, and 3.52 for HCV per 1000 pregnancies. Compared to the other race/ethnicity groups, pregnant people who were Black were most likely to be tested for HIV (78%) and HBV (80%), and pregnant people who were White were most likely to be tested for HCV (7%). Conclusions: Clinical testing guidelines have not been effectively translated to practice. Additionally, compared to HIV and HBV, HCV infections during pregnancy are becoming more prevalent, yet current national HCV screening guidelines are the least comprehensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) outbreak at a large public university prompted an emergency response to immunize undergraduates. Objective: To report on a successful meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccine clinic response at a large public university. Methods: We assembled the team leaders to write this case report. Results: Activation of the emergency plan and points of dispensing required cooperation of many units on campus under the leadership of university health officials with support from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state division of public health and the city-county health department. Significant efforts to provide consistent messages to students and parents regarding the outbreak and the availability of the MenB vaccines were made. Volunteers were recruited to staff the clinics alongside university healthcare providers. Over 22,000 doses of vaccine were administered. Conclusion: We report our experience and lessons learned which may be helpful to universities in preventing and responding to disease outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Interest is increasing in collaborations between public health and primary care to address the health of a community. Although the understanding of how these collaborations work is growing, little is known about the barriers facing these partners at the local level. The objective of this study was to identify barriers to collaboration between primary care and public health at the local level in 4 states. Methods: The study team, which comprised 12 representatives of Practice-Based Research Networks (networks of practitioners interested in conducting research in practice-based settings), identified 40 key informants from the public health and primary care fields in Colorado, Minnesota, Washington State, and Wisconsin. The key informants participated in standardized, semistructured telephone interviews with 8 study team members in 2014 and 2015. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We analyzed key themes and subthemes by drawing on grounded theory. Results: Primary care and public health participants identified similar barriers to collaboration. Barriers at the institutional level included the challenges of the primary care environment, in which providers feel overwhelmed and resources are tight; the need for systems change; a lack of partnership; and geographic challenges. Barriers to collaboration included mutual awareness, communication, data sharing, capacity, lack of resources, and prioritization of resources. Conclusions: Some barriers to collaboration (eg, changes to health care billing, demands on provider time) require systems change to overcome, whereas others (eg, a lack of shared priorities and mutual awareness) could be addressed through educational approaches, without adding resources or making a systemic change. Overcoming these common barriers may lead to more effective collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Describe cross-jurisdiction service sharing (CJS) by local and tribal health departments (LHD) in Wisconsin in 2014 compared to 2012. Design: An online survey of 91 LHD directors in Wisconsin was conducted. Results were compared to the results of a 2012 survey. Characteristics of CJS arrangements and differences in results by population size, geographic region, and governance type were described. Standardized proportion differences (h) were estimated using the arcsin transformation. Confidence intervals were estimated using unconditional exact confidence intervals for the difference of proportions.8 A forest plot of the estimates and confidence intervals was generated to visualize change in CJS for each population category. Results: Seventy-eight percent of respondents in 2014 reported currently sharing services compared to 71% of respondents in 2012. Positive effect sizes indicate increased sharing in year 2014 relative to 2012. CJS was more frequent for LHD serving smaller jurisdictions, consistent with both 2012 survey results and national findings. All governance types continue to engage in sharing public health services. Implications: Cross jurisdictional service sharing is widespread and increasing in Wisconsin, implying that it is a useful strategy for providing public health services under some circumstances. Educating public health practitioners and students about CJS strategies in public health is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National changes in the context for public health services are influencing the nature of public health nursing practice. Despite this, the document that defines public health nursing as a specialty- The Definition and Role of Public Health Nursing-has remained in wide use since its publication in 1996 without a review or update. With support from the American Public Health Association ( APHA) Public Health Nursing Section, a national Task Force, was formed in November 2012 to update the definition of public health nursing, using processes that reflected deliberative democratic principles. A yearlong process was employed that included a modified Delphi technique and various modes of engagement such as online discussion boards, questionnaires, and public comment to review. The resulting 2013 document consisted of a reaffirmation of the one-sentence 1996 definition, while updating supporting documentation to align with the current social, economic, political, and health care context. The 2013 document was strongly endorsed by vote of the APHA Public Health Nursing Section elected leadership. The 2013 definition and document affirm the relevance of a population-focused definition of public health nursing to complex systems addressed in current practice and articulate critical roles of public health nurses ( PHN) in these settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study to determine the impact of a preceptor online education course "Precepting Community Health Nursing Students" on preceptor self-efficacy and knowledge of the preceptor role while assessing the relationship between select demographic variables and preceptor self-efficacy in public health nurses. It was concluded that web-delivered continuing education for public health nurse preceptors increased self-efficacy and knowledge for the preceptor role.

Background: A pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using an online continuing education course to increase knowledge and self-efficacy in nurse preceptors who work with student nurses in acute and primary care settings. Methods: A one-group pre- and posttest repeated measures design was used. Pre-course knowledge and self-efficacy were assessed with an electronic survey. Post-course knowledge and satisfaction assessments were embedded in the course. Knowledge retention and change in self-efficacy were assessed with an electronic follow-up survey. Analysis used paired sample t tests. Results: Participants (N = 13) reported satisfaction with the course. Participant knowledge increased from pretest to post-course and from pretest to follow-up. Knowledge declined from post-course to follow-up. No change in self-efficacy ratings was observed. Conclusion: This study suggests that online continuing education is a feasible strategy to support preceptor learning. Further research on the effectiveness of this approach in changing and retaining knowledge and improving self-efficacy is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Common Sense Model (CSM) was used as the organizing framework to examine providers' experiences with young people's cognitive representations and emotions related to the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study was conducted to develop insights into potential avenues for enhancing the effectiveness of STI education and counseling for young people. Design: This was a qualitative investigation using semi-structured focus group interviews. Sample: The 5 focus groups were comprised of 30 providers of STI education and counseling: public health nurses, peer educators, and nurse practitioners. Measurement: Content of transcribed focus group interviews was coded using a predetermined coding scheme based on the five dimensions of representational beliefs and emotions defined by the CSM. Results: The providers identified that young people hold a number of STI misconceptions within each dimensions of the CSM. Anger and embarrassment about STIs are common emotions experienced by young people. Conclusions: This investigation suggests that providers are able to elicit and identify STI-related misconceptions held by young people, and that the CSM model is a useful classification method. Identifying misconceptions could be useful in developing tailored STI education and counseling interventions by public health nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health and other community health nurses frequently serve as preceptors to undergraduate student nurses learning population-based nursing in community/public health practicum courses. The extent of preparation and support for the preceptor role provided by schools of nursing is often limited. One strategy to address this problem is to provide targeted, Web-delivered continuing education (CE) to preceptors. A Web-delivered CE course entitled, “Partnerships for Learning Community Health Nursing,” was created and pilot tested. Course content includes preceptor roles; assisting students in learning population-based public health nursing, critical thinking, and cultural competence; learning styles and teaching strategies; what to do in challenging situations; evaluation and feedback; and specific information about school policies, procedures, and course assignments. Precourse knowledge was assessed using a mailed survey. Postcourse knowledge and satisfaction were assessed using questions embedded in the course. Postsemester knowledge and satisfaction were evaluated through a postsemester survey. Knowledge gain was tested using repeated measures ANOVA and paired t tests. Thirteen preceptors participated in the pilot test. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that knowledge gain occurred (multivariate F=55.603, df=2, error df=11, p<.0001). Participants increased knowledge from pretest to posttest ( t=−10.25, p<.00001) and from pretest to end of the semester ( t=−4.95, p<.0003). Knowledge decline from end of course to end of semester was not significant ( t=1.94, p=.08). Participants reported satisfaction with the course. Web-delivered CE for community/public health nurse preceptors can support preceptor learning and is an acceptable method for receiving this type of education. Further research is needed on the impact of preceptor education on student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health and corresponding state health improvement plans provide roadmaps for planning, monitoring, and evaluating population health improvement in the United States. These documents offer relevant guidance for nursing education because they address health workforce education specifically, use a population perspective, and include evidence-based action priorities. However, information about how these documents are used in nursing education is limited. This article discusses the relevance of national and state health planning documents for nursing education. Nurse educators are encouraged to reflect on the alignment of current nursing education efforts with national and state health planning agendas. Suggestions for future use of national and state population health improvement planning documents in guiding strategic, curricular, and course planning are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper reports the characteristics of recent public health nursing (PHN) practice change experienced by staff-level public health nurses. Recommendations for improving PHN practice offered by study participants are reported and discussed. Design: A cross-sectional written survey was used to collect data from 424 public health nurses in 76 local health departments (LHDs) in Wisconsin (68% response rate) in 2003. Characteristics of practice change were identified using a 15-item-scaled response set. Recommendations on improving practice were made through responses to an open-ended survey question. Content analysis was conducted to identify major themes among the responses. Results: PHN practice has become more population focused. Major themes emerging from the recommendations for practice improvement included increasing system and organizational resources, expanding visibility of public health, and strengthening collaboration. Conclusions: Implications for practice include the need for continuing education in concepts and skills required for population-focused PHN practice, advocacy for more public health resources, and collaboration with academic partners for education and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper reports recommendations for improving public health nursing (PHN) undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education (CE) made by staff-level public health nurses working in local health departments (LHDs). Implications for academia and practice are discussed. Design: A cross-sectional written survey was used to collect data from 424 public health nurses in 76 LHDs in Wisconsin (68% response rate) in 2003. Recommendations for improving undergraduate, graduate, and CE were made through responses to open-ended survey questions. Content analysis was conducted to identify major themes among responses. Results: Major themes emerging from the recommendations for undergraduate education included the need for more clinical public health experiences and population-focused practice content. Graduate education improvement recommendations included addressing access barriers and increasing organizational incentives. Improved access and more public health content were the major recommendations for improving CE. Conclusions: Implications for academia focus on increasing opportunities for students to experience population-focused PHN and to learn organizational and collaborative practice skills, supporting PHN preceptors and building evidence for PHN intervention through research. Implications for practice include the need to expand opportunities for students with LHDs and to collaborate with academic partners for education and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Interorganizational collaboration aimed at community health improvement is an expectation of local public health systems. This study assessed the extent to which such collaboration occurred within one state (Wisconsin), described the characteristics of existing partnerships, and identified factors associated with partnership effectiveness. Methods. In Stage 1, local health department (LHD) directors in Wisconsin were surveyed (93% response rate). In Stage 2, LHDs completed self-administered mailed surveys for each partnership identified in Stage 1 (85% response rate). Two-level hierarchical logit regression methods were used to model relationships between partnership and LHD variables and partnership outcomes. Data from 924 partnerships associated with 74 LHDs were included in the analysis. Results. Partnerships most frequently addressed tobacco prevention and control, maternal and child health, emergency planning, community assessment and planning, and immunizations. Partnering was most frequent with other government agencies, hospitals, medical practices or clinics, community-based organizations, and schools. Partnership effectiveness was predicted by having a budget, having more partners contributing financially, having a broader array of organizations involved, and having been in existence for a longer period of time. A government mandate to start the partnership was inversely related to successful outcomes. Characteristics of LHDs did not predict partnership effectiveness. Conclusions. Financial support, having a broader array of partners, and allowing sufficient time for partnerships to succeed contribute to partnership effectiveness. Further study--using objective outcome measures--is needed to examine the effects of organizational and community characteristics on the effectiveness of local public health system partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health nurses (PHNs) play critical roles in public health surveillance systems in the United States. Increased understanding of public health surveillance systems can help PHNs appreciate their role in surveillance and improve the quality and usefulness of surveillance data. This paper describes the National Immunization Survey, the public health surveillance system currently in place for tracking immunizations, as well as immunization registries and HEDIS performance indicators, two emerging approaches to immunization surveillance. The contributions of public health nursing to these systems and implications for public health nursing practice are discussed. High quality public health surveillance information is essential for monitoring the progress of disease trends and program effectiveness. PHNs can help assure the quality of surveillance data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]