Kay Mueggenburg, PhD, RN, Debra Gay Anderson, PhD, Jeanie Schureman, RN, MSN, Ruth D. Berry, RN, MSN, F.M. Chester, RN, MSN, ARNP, and Peggy Riley, RN, MSN. College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, #539 CON, HSLC, 760 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0232, 859-323-8024, kmueg2@uky.edu

Community health concepts are threaded throughout the curriculum at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing. This prepares students for Public Health nursing in their senior year. Course lectures include discussion of practice standards while application occurs in the clinical component of the course. Students are required to “gain entry” into their chosen community and demonstrate collegiality, collaboration and resource utilization as they complete their assessment and then design an evidence-based intervention to address the issue in their targeted aggregate. Each student selects a different health focus from the HP 2010 Leading Health Indicators, but all follow the same process to understand how to impact change at the population level. Advocacy at the policy and legislative levels is incorporated into the activities. The lack of assigned and concrete clinical placement sites requires students to perform with more independence than previous classes. Faculty need to provide individual support and guidance. By week six most students gain confidence and excitement in their role. Group presentations around each Leading Health Indicator demonstrate mastery of the concepts and passion toward creating change in their community.

Learning Objectives: