Credentialing Public Health Nurses: Current Issues and Next Steps Forward.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to identify Public Health Nurses' (PHN) perceived motivators and barriers to seeking PHN board certification. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: In collaboration with the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations, PHNs from across the United States were invited to complete the PHN Certification Survey, a 14-item online questionnaire. MEASURES: A total of 912 surveys were completed. RESULTS: PHNs were motivated to seek PHN board certification by three overarching categories: professional competence, personal satisfaction, and financial incentives. Frequently cited barriers to certification were lack of knowledge of certification opportunities, being unaware of eligibility criteria, cost, perceived lack of value/reward by employer, and preparation time. CONCLUSIONS: Demonstrating a highly educated, competent, and reliable PHN workforce can only be achieved through ongoing professional development and credentialing. PH stakeholders (i.e., PHN organizations, employers, PHNs, etc.) need a strategic approach to address the main barriers to certification identified in this study (a) awareness of certification and eligibility criteria, and (b) recognition of the credential by employers. In addition, research on the relationship between PHN credentialing and population health outcomes is essential.

Improving wait times in primary care using the Dartmouth microsystem improvement curriculum.

Wait times for medical care are a major factor in patient satisfaction with health care. The Dartmouth Microsystem Improvement Curriculum and Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement method were used to address patient dissatisfaction with wait times among patients receiving primary care in a Federally Qualified Health Center. Wait time data were collected for 406 patient visits during the pretest phase and 397 visits during the posttest phase. Improvements in patient satisfaction with waiting room wait time (P = .023) and examination room wait time (P = .009) were achieved.

Quality assurance for online nursing courses.

Nurse educators and students have been expressing concern about the quality of online education for more than a decade. Models, standards, benchmarks, and peer review processes now offer tools for assuring the quality of online education and provide documentation for evaluation and accreditation processes. Standards provide the basis for initial course design, thus decreasing the need for revisions to correct weaknesses. This article reviews the literature on standards and quality assurance processes for online courses. Recommendations for the use of standards, peer review, and quality assurance of online courses are discussed.

The use of standards for peer review of online nursing courses: a pilot study.

This article describes a pilot study on the use of online course standards for peer review of Web-based nursing courses. A peer review team consisting of a nurse educator and an instructional designer piloted the use of two sets of online course standards in two RN-to-baccalaureate nursing courses. The College of Public Health Online Course Standards and the Quality Matters (QM) Peer Course Review Rubric were used to review the courses. The standards facilitated the peer review process and supplied important criteria for measuring the quality of the courses. Analysis of the rubric scores revealed trends in criteria not met in either course, indicating the need for educational program improvement and faculty training. The QM tool had more consistent results among peer reviewers and was perceived as easier to use. In addition, QM standards provided a useful mechanism for benchmarking against higher education courses throughout the United States.

Using synchronous software in Web-based nursing courses.

To promote learning and enhance immediacy and satisfaction, a college of nursing at a large research I southern university undertook a pilot project to incorporate synchronous classroom software into an ongoing online program. Two synchronous class sessions using voice over Internet protocol were offered in the Community/Public Health Nursing course through Elluminate Live! Upon conclusion of the lecture, students were divided into breakout groups to work on group projects. Surveys were administered to the students and faculty before and after the class sessions. Evaluation of the pedagogical strategies used in the synchronous sessions was conducted by instructional technology faculty. Students in the pilot group reported higher levels of satisfaction with the Web-based course with synchronous sessions. In addition, students reported that group time at the end of the session was helpful for completing group projects. A majority responded that synchronous session activities and assignments facilitated their understanding of course content. This article presents a description of the synchronous classroom pilot project along with recommendations for implementation and pedagogical approaches.