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Jake is a public health nursing student who has 10 years of experience in the acute care setting as an associate degree nurse. His expertise has been in the area of cardiac care, working in the Coronary Care Unit at a local hospital. Jake has returned to school to complete a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The community surrounding the university that Jake attends has identified a need to address healthcare access for the homeless population. A local church approached the university to work with it to develop a clinic for the homeless by using resources in the community and students for the delivery of care for this underserved population. Jake's preceptor, Linda, a public health nurse (PHN), is representing the local public health department at planning meetings. Jake will have the opportunity to learn how professionals, community members, and organizations collaborate to contribute to the development of a community clinic that serves a vulnerable population. Jake has many questions, such as: Whom would he collaborate with to contribute to this goal? Whom should be invited to be partners in the collaboration? How does such a diverse group work together? What is the PHN's responsibility in collaborative work?
Before Jake attends the first planning meeting with Linda, he picks up his notebook to review the population-based public health nursing competency list and concentrates on Competency #6, which focuses on collaborative practice.
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JAKE'S NOTEBOOK: COMPETENCY #6 Utilizes Collaboration to Achieve Public Health Goals
Demonstrates effective participation on interprofessional teams
Develops relationships and builds partnership with communities, systems, individuals, and families
Utilizes community assets and community engagement to empower communities, systems, individuals, and families
Source: Henry Street Consortium, 2017
USEFUL DEFINITIONS Collaboration: Working together “to achieve a common goal through enhancing the capacity of one or more of the members to promote and protect health” (Keller, Strohschein, Lia-Hoagberg, & Schaffer, 2004, p. 456).
Community Asset: “Anything that can be used to improve the quality of community life,” including people, physical structures, community services, and businesses (KU Center for Community Health and Development, 2017).
Community Engagement: Collaborating with community members or community organizations to mutually participate in problem-solving to address issues that affect their well-being (National Institutes of Health, 2011).
Interprofessional Collaboration: Creating collective action to address the complexity of client needs and creating a team culture that integrates the perspectives of each professional and facilitates mutual team member respect and trust (D'Amour, Ferrada-Videla, Rodriguez, & Beaulieu, 2005).
Partnership: Individuals or organizations sharing ideas, experiences, skills, and resources to address problems through mutual decision-making and action (Wilson & Mabhala, 2009).
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Accomplishing More by Working Together
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PHNs work with many individuals and community organizations. Collaboration can be between two or more individuals or between organizations. PHNs collaborate with representatives of the population, other professionals, and organizations to contribute to healthcare planning and promote health (American ...