Association of Community Health Nursing Educators 2020 Research Priorities and Research in Action Model

The Association of Community/Public Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE) Research Priorities Subcommittee presents a report on the state of the science of public health nursing education.

Whittemore and Knafl's (Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2005, 52, 546) five-step integrative review was used.

Fifty-two articles were reviewed.

Braun et al's. (Handbook of research methods in health social sciences, 2019, 843) thematic analysis methods were used.

Four themes emerged: (a) Community/Public Health Nursing Education and teaching strategies/modalities; (b) Clinical teaching and learning partnerships; (c) Environmental health and emergency response; and, (d) Cultural competence and awareness.

Themes informed the following research priorities: (a) a need for rigorous scientific studies highlighting the impact and effectiveness of Community/Public Health Nursing Education; (b) a need for evidence on faculty development, support and training related to community/public health activities; (c) a need for evidence on impact of Community/Public Health Nursing teaching on communities and students, and (d) a need for evidence on impact of C/PHNE strategies on long-term student knowledge, attitudes or behavior (competencies). Finally, a Research in Action Model is proposed as a means for continued forward movement of the discipline, connecting the three fundamental driving mechanisms.