Nurse matters: assuming your role in advocacy.

I hope others will consider joining those of us in nursing who have taken the leap into public policy. Being involved in the public policy process is an integral role to nursing and a mechanism for excellence. Our public policy role is just as important as serving as a clinician, researcher, or educator. This offers nurses a choice to become involved to advance the nursing profession, the American healthcare system, and the public welfare and good. We have heard the expression: "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." Well, in politics, how you play the game can determine whether you win or lose an issue, and as nurses we have great power in numbers. The time is ripe to become involved - this is the call to political action for excellence in nursing in home health and hospice care. I welcome your participation!

Nursing and public policy: a tool for excellence in education, practice, and research.

Complex social and health policy issues face our nation and profession, and proactive participation in the public policy arena is a key to excellence in clinical practice, scholarship, and education for nursing. The purpose of this article is to reflect on the value of the nursing profession's public policy involvement. Specifically, a case example of the author's experiences as a nurse-legislator at the state level is provided. Public policy examples and political strategies are included. Being a part of the political arena or "game" is a key to shaping health policy and, in turn, a strategy for excellence in nursing.

Using the Omaha System to document the wellness needs of the elderly.

Capturing health promotion, education, and disease prevention outreach service data and outcomes is difficult. The rapid pace of health fairs that offer free health services challenges record keeping. To address this issue, the University of Delaware Nursing Center developed short, efficient survey tools using the Omaha System of documentation. These tools allow for standardization of data, easy record keeping, and focused health assessments by various providers.

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

Because of the current state of health systems changes and bioterrorist threats, the time is ripe for expanded community-based partnerships. The project described in this article, titled Partners in Action: University of Delaware and Delaware Division of Public Health, created a replicable academic-public health partnership. This new partnership developed undergraduate public health nursing clinical experiences and addressed the documented public health resource and service needs across the state of Delaware. Twenty-six students and 20 public health staff participated in the Partners in Action program over 2 semesters. Important public health services were delivered while students developed critical public health skills and received academic credit for their work. Public health preceptors, staff, nursing students, and faculty met on a regular basis for focus groups and public health in-services, using classroom, video, and Web-based formats. Partners in Action targeted medically underserved areas and offered health education and disease screenings. Community-based organizations and residents worked with students, faculty and public health staff to develop, implement, and evaluate this partnership. Partners in Action's evaluation included formative and summative measures. Partners in Action outcomes can serve as a blueprint for the replication of such programs at other schools of nursing.