The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70058

Marilyn L Stember, RN, PhD, FAAN¹, Cathy White, RN, MS², Judith A. Barton, RN, PhD³, Karen O'Brien, RN, MS², Nancy Brown, RN, PhD, FAAN³, and Marlaine Smith, RN, PhD³. (1) School of Nursing, University of Colorado, 4200 East Ninth Avenue, Denver, CO 80262, 303-315-4338, Marilyn.Stember@uchsc.edu, (2) Office of Local Liaison, Colorado Department of Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246, (3) School of Nursing, C-288, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East 9th Avenue, Denver, CO 80262

The purpose of this collaborative academic/practice project was to assess the competencies and educational needs of the public health workforce in Colorado. A self-assessment tool, Towards 21st Century Public Health Practice, was developed for data collection. Some participants completed the survey on an Internet website using TELEformTM software; others completed a paper-and-pencil version. The 1,249 respondents averaged 44 years of age and 10 years public health experience. Although all counties were represented, most were employed in organized departments and urban counties. Results of the competency self-assessment showed workers were more proficient in Core Competencies than in Bioterrorism/Emergency Preparedness Competencies. Among the Core Competencies, workers were most proficient in Cultural Competency Skills and Communication Skills; they were least proficient in Policy Development/Program Planning Skills and Financial Planning/Management Skills. Among the Bioterrorism/Emergency Preparedness Competencies, workers rated themselves most proficient in Disaster Response Skills and Emergency Communication Skills and least proficient in Biological/Infectious Disease Skills and Toxic Chemical/Environmental Hazard Skills. Although workers recognized educational needs across all areas, they reported greater educational needs related to Bioterrorism/Emergency Preparedness Competencies than for Core Competencies. Learning preferences were for one-day, face-to-face classes held during the week. Subsequent analyses focused on differences in competencies, educational needs, and educational preferences between various groups of public health workers. Academic/practice collaboration was essential in developing a psychometrically sound instrument, increasing response rates, and interpreting the findings. Informed decisions are now being made by collaborating partners to offer suitable, efficient educational programs to improve the Colorado public health workforce.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• Identify an academic/practice collaborative approach to assessing workforce competencies and learning needs.
• Prioritize educational offerings based on workers’ reported competencies.
• Differentiate educational needs by worker groups.

Keywords: Competency, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.