Comprehensive initial evaluation of an innovative yearlong population health internship for undergraduates

The innovative Population Health Internship (PHI) addresses the evolving need for baccalaureate-prepared nurses to achieve population health competency. A comprehensive evaluation of the inaugural year of the PHI was conducted using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health and the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) curricular evaluation model. Students and community agency partners-both key stakeholders-contributed to the evaluation.

Quantitative data were used to address functional and outcome areas of the PHI for purposes of PHI logistics, student learning gains, and program impact and sustainability. Qualitative data were used to provide insights into challenges in instituting curricular change, complexity in student-agency communications, importance of student preparedness/attitude, issues of role confusion, misperceptions about the population health nursing role, student learning, and impacts on partner agencies and their populations.

Educational implications include the importance of assessing both learning gains and student buy-in, the need for a long-term evaluation approach to accommodate for challenges related to radical curriculum change, and the importance of strong stakeholder support to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships and a positive learning experience.