Viewing population focused assessment from a constructive developmental standpoint

Intentionally incorporating a constructive developmental approach to public health nursing education facilitates student transformation toward the more complex and mature reasoning required for public health nursing practice.   Additionally, taking a constructive developmental approach more closely aligns the educational process with the goals of higher education and with the program outcomes required by accrediting bodies, and strengthens student preparation for more advanced education in public health.  By focusing on one core public health function, this session examines the nature of population focused assessment from a constructive developmental standpoint, makes explicit the developmental challenges inherent to the assessment process, and explores effective strategies for cultivating such a developmental approach in public health nursing education.  This session also affords participants the opportunity to discuss the implications for faculty preparation to teach public health nursing.