A Tristate Education Model to Prepare Nurses to Serve on Health-Promoting Boards

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Public Health Leadership
• Health Policy

Background:

• The tristate Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) education program aims to equip nurses for leadership roles on boards influencing public health.
• These boards include diverse entities such as housing authorities, school wellness teams, and mental health nonprofits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the tristate NOBC education program in preparing nurses for board service.
• To assess the program's impact on nurses' knowledge of social determinants of health and their potential influence on population health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• An evidence-informed, innovative, and interactive NOBC education model was developed by three state nursing organizations.
• The model's development involved literature reviews on board service, leadership, and continuing education.
• Key informant interviews with national NOBC experts and evaluation data from prior programs informed the model.

Main Results:

• Participants in the 2018 and 2019 tristate NOBC education programs reported a significant increase in their knowledge.
• Attendees demonstrated enhanced understanding of social determinants of health.
• Nurses reported increased confidence in their ability to influence population health through board service.

Conclusions:

• The tristate NOBC education program is an effective model for preparing nurses to serve on health-promoting boards.
• The program successfully enhances nurses' capacity to address social determinants of health and improve population well-being.