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Traditionally, underrepresented racial and ethnic groups experience marginalization, leading to inequities and disparities in health and health care. A holistic approach to care delivery can help providers meet a culturally diverse patient population's unique healing needs. A systematic assessment of nurses' cultural competency practice was conducted in Pennsylvania to reveal opportunities and provide direction for holistic, culturally competent health care services. This exploratory cross-sectional descriptive study used the Cultural Competence Education and Awareness Survey (CCEAS) to examine cultural competence practices of registered nurses employed in the state of Pennsylvania. A total of 1246 registered nurses completed the survey. Respondents expressed a strong desire for cultural competency. Education and organizational infrastructure to facilitate cultural competency could be improved. Health care leaders and policy makers at all levels should explore opportunities to strengthen nurses' culturally competent practices through ongoing professional-development activities and enhanced organizational infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) of public health nurses (PHNs) related to the eight Domains of the 2011 Quad Council Competencies for Public Health Nurses (QCC‐PHN). This manuscript is Part 2 of an exploratory study published in the Public Health Nursing journal on PHNs' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and application of the Quad Council Competencies (Harmon et al., 2020). Design: In this mixed‐method descriptive research study, the multisite team conducted an online survey among a convenience sample of 296 PHNs to determine differences in KSA for each of the eight QCC‐PHN Domains. Measurements: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) testing revealed differences in KSA for the QCC‐PHN, Domains. Post‐hoc tests and qualitative thematic analysis of PHNs open‐ended comments were used to provide additional data. Results: ANOVA results showed significant differences in knowledge and skills in all Domains and a significant difference in attitude in only one domain, Domain 7. Post‐hoc test results showed significant differences in KSA between position titles for most Domains. Conclusions: Recommendations include using the QCC‐PHN to standardize the professional and diverse roles of the PHN workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The changing professional environment for community/public health nursing practice necessitates competencies grounded in current evidence‐based practice. The Quad Council Coalition (QCC) appointed a Task Force to revise the 2011 QCC Competencies for Public Health Nursing. The goal of the competencies is to guide professional nursing practice, curricula, research, and policy development. This paper describes the process used to develop the revised 2018 Competencies. Methods: A biphasic Delphi technique was used to conduct a detailed examination and build consensus. Four individuals representing community/public health practice and education collaborated to identify and implement a systematic process for revising the QCC Competencies. The process included multiple iterations of review and feedback using consistent methods and tools to analyze and synthesize themes. Results: The primary result of this project is the 2018 QCC Competencies document that has strong consensus and provides a coherent voice from professionals on the practice of community/public health nursing. Discussion: Use of current QCC Competencies will strengthen the community/public health nursing capacity to positively impact the health and well‐being of populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite an increase in national health care service utilization, entry into the health care system remains inequitable. This disparity in health care access disproportionately affects those experiencing homelessness. Because the homeless population faces significant financial and nonfinancial barriers, health care system engagement with these individuals must be reconsidered. Objective: This article will describe the piloting of an interprofessional model within an urban library to address barriers to health care access that homeless individuals face. Design: The library's unique status as a community hub presents an opportunity for partnership in addressing this population's health care access issues. This community‐based model is the first recorded to utilize three distinct professions—nursing, social work, and library science—in a public library. Results and Conclusions: The implementation of this pilot project resulted in a high retention rate of referrals to community health services for those unstably housed and facilitated a system of warm transfers. Although opportunities to improve generalizability exist, this initiative sets the stage for discussion around co‐location of health and social services in a nontraditional community‐based setting to achieve equitable access to health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]