Competency of Public Health Nurses and Faculty in the EPHS

1
Competency of Public Health Nurses and Faculty in
the EPHS

• Michele Issel,PhD, RN
• Kathy Baldwin, PhD, RN
• UIC SPH UIC CON
• AcademyHealth
• 7 June 2004

2
The Competencies

• Published by Association of Community Health
  Nursing Educators (ACHNE)
• These standards are for public health nurses
  (PHNs)
• PHN Competencies parallel the Essential Public
  Health Services (EPHS)
• Minimal competency level is needed to be
  effective as PHN and to have effective PHN
  department

3
Purpose of the Assessment

• Need information to develop PHN curricula at
  undergraduate and graduate levels, and to plan CE
• To understand current level of competencies of
  PHNs and public health nursing faculty in Illinois

4
Two Surveys Samples

• PHNs
• Surveyed 50 city/county health departments
• 4 surveys per site 1 manager, 3 staff nurses
• Faculty
• Surveyed 31 institutions in Illinois with BSN
  programs
• Up to 4 faculty per institution could respond

5
Methodology

• Self-report survey
• Used Lickert scale of competency for activities

6
Lickert Scale
7
EPHS Competency Scales, items
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Data Analyses

• Same for both surveys
• Mean (sd) per competency area using all items for
  that competency
• Correlations among demographic and other
  variables
• Internal consistency (co-efficient alpha) for
  each competency scale
• .89 to .97 in PHN survey

9
Demographics of PHNsN 168, 84 Response rate

• Age 47.9 years (mean)
• Gender 97.3 Female
• Race/ethnicity 78 White (non-Hispanic) 12
  African-American 5 Hispanic
• Job position 25 Management 75 Staff

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Demographics of FacultyN 46, 38 Response rate

• Age 50 years (mean)
• Gender 100 Female
• Education 60 Doctorate
• 36 Masters
• Position 78 Faculty
• 15 Deans
• Hours teaching PH 8 semester hrs. (mean)

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Results Mean Competency Scores for PHNs and PHN
Faculty (1)
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Results Mean Competency Scores for PHNs and PHN
Faculty (2)
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Correlation Analyses

• Explore what is related to higher competency
• Report only significant correlations
• lt 0.05 lt 0.01
• First, descriptive look at
• whether more time providing the EPHS is
  related to higher self-report of competency?

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of Time Spent Providing Each EPSH (1)
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of Time Spent Providing Each EPHS (2)
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Significant Correlations of Highest Degree with
PHN Survey
17
Significant Correlations ofTotal Time in
Position with
PHN Survey
18
Significant Correlations Years in Public Health
with
Faculty Survey
19
Significant Correlations ofHighest Degree with
Faculty Survey
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Summary

• PHN and PHN faculty competency in the essential
  public health services is minimal.
• The highest competency for PHNs is
• individual-focused and nursing task.
• Higher education and work experience increase
  self-reported competency, but not to competent
  level.

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Implications

• Need CE offerings to increase the competency of
  PHNs and faculty.
• Tailor nursing curricula to address the
  competencies.
• More workplace emphasis on requiring and
  assisting PHNs faculty to be competent.

22
Thank You

• Acknowledgements
• HRSA, BHP, Division of Nursing Advancing Public
  Health Nursing Education in Illinois Grant
• Bobbi Lyons, Debbie Kane, Kusuma Madamala