Partners in action: a public health program for baccalaureate nursing students

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nursing Education
• Community Health

Background:

• Evolving health systems and bioterrorist threats necessitate strengthened community-based partnerships.
• Academic institutions and public health divisions can collaborate to address critical public health needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and outcomes of a replicable academic-public health partnership: "Partners in Action."
• To integrate undergraduate public health nursing clinical experiences with community service delivery.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative model involving the University of Delaware and the Delaware Division of Public Health was implemented.
• Undergraduate nursing students gained practical experience through health education and disease screenings in medically underserved areas.
• Regular focus groups and in-service training utilized diverse formats (classroom, video, web-based) for participants.

Main Results:

• Twenty-six nursing students and 20 public health staff participated over two semesters.
• Essential public health services were delivered, enhancing students' public health skills and providing academic credit.
• The partnership successfully engaged community organizations and residents in program development and evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The "Partners in Action" model offers a successful blueprint for academic-public health collaboration.
• Such partnerships effectively address community health needs while enriching nursing education.
• Replication of this model can strengthen public health infrastructure and workforce development nationwide.