C/PHN Handout, continued

Welcome and Congratulations! You have started ajourney into deep reflection and assessment of your Public Health Nursing practice and competencies.Go ahead and download or print the Community/Public Health Nursing (C/PHN) Competencies and start reading at the beginning of the document. The Introduction, Methods, Assumptions, and Application to Practice, Education, Policy, and Research sections have information that will help you have a more well-rounded understanding of Public Health Nursing and the competencies, even beyond your specific area of practice. Remember, the C/PHN competencies provide the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for competent PHN practice, in any practice setting. As you reflect on them, think about your current areas of competency – what Tier do you usually fall under? Also, note competencies that you may wish to master to strengthen your Public Health Nursing Practice.

For Supervisors and Directors of NursingConsider integrating this learning activity into your PHN staff meetings and serve as a facilitator of this learning process. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a subject-matter expert on the competencies to facilitate the conversation, and the opportunity to hear about other PHN’s discoveries will enhance you, and the other PHN staff learning experiences. Since you can progress through this learning activity at your own pace, time could be taken during meetings to discuss the C/PHN competencies and share reflections and answers to the 10 questions.

Learner OutcomesWe have built this CNE activity based on specific feedback we have heard from PHNs like you! PHNs have expressed their desire to better understand the PHN competencies, why they are important to PHN practice and how the competencies relate to their PHN practice. To help meet these learning needs, we are providing a self-study type of continuing education activity whichallows you to move through the learning activity at your own pace with prompts to reflect on your practice: where you have been, where you are now, and where you are going in the future. As Norman Olsen states in this 2014 Reflections on Nursing Leadership article,Self-reflection: Foundation for Meaningful Nursing Practice, self-reflection can be an effective path leading to wisdom. With that in mind, upon completion of this self-study continuing nursing education (CNE) activity, you will:

  • increase your knowledge of the 2018 QCC C/PHN Tiers, Domains, and Competencies;
  • recognize behaviors you currently demonstrate in your practice that are reflected in the 2018 QCC C/PHN competencies;
  • identify three competency gaps that you desire to master and integrate into your practice; and
  • write a SMART goal for each of the three competency gaps.

CNE PlanHere is the roadmap for your journey through this learning activity:

  • Read the Introduction eight-slide presentation and the Self-Study C-PHN Competencies in PHN Practice Handout
  • Read the 2018 QCC C/PHN Competency document. While reading, the learner will consider the learner outcomes.
  • After readingthe 2018 QCC C/PHN competencies, answer the 10 self-reflective questions

To complete the learning activity and receive CNE contact hours, after completing the required reading

and reflection, provide your answers to the 10 questions in the online survey and evaluate the activity:

 Note: You must provide answers to every required question to receive your CNE contact hour certificate. You may only access the survey one time: you cannot save your answers and return later.

Don’t forget the special hints!

Type your answers to the 10 questions below, then you can copy your answers from this document and paste them right into the online survey - it will save you from having to re-type your answers, which may be quite robust!

Also, consider marking your calendar for 3, 6, 9+ months from now to reflect on the three competency gaps you identified in Question #10 that reflect critical behaviors that you desire to master and integrate into your practice. Better yet, also write the dates into your SMART goals!

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10 Reflective Questions (questions 1-9 should be answered in no more than 250 words):

  1. Describe the Tier in which I primarily functionas a PHN:

For the next eight questions, identify at least one competency in each Domain that you currently possess and describe how you demonstrate this competency in your PHN practice.

Example: Domain 1: Assessment & Analytic Skills. Tier 1: 1A11. Use evidence-based strategies or promising practices from across disciplines to promote health in communities and populations. Competency: I work as a High-Risk Pregnancy & Postpartum Newborn home-visiting nurse. I integrate EBP into my work including EB post-partum depression screening. I also work with the Hispanic population and assess individual and community beliefs around health. Whenever I am working 1:1 with my Hispanic clients, I try to encourage them to share what they have learned with their family members and friends – to “spread” (a QI term) the information around to dispel myths & disperse factual, usable, and culturally relevant health information.

  1. Domain 1:
  2. Domain 2:
  3. Domain 3:
  4. Domain 4:
  5. Domain 5:
  6. Domain 6:
  7. Domain 7:
  8. Domain 8:
  9. Identify three competency gaps that I desire to master and integrate into my practice, and write a SMART goal for each: Specific (sensible, significant). Measurable (indicator of progress). Achievable (attainable). Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based) and Time-Bound (target date(s), deadlines). Check out this useful SMART goal worksheet provided by Nightingale College: . I have also provided some examples below.

Example 1:

Domain: 8: Leadership & Systems Thinking Skills

Competency: 8C2a. Evaluate new approaches to public health practice that integrate organizational and systems thinking.

SMART goal: By Dec 1, 2018 (time-bound), create a spreadsheet (achievable) that compares the available options for Case Management certification (to include cost, required preparation, and re-certification requirements; specific) and share with agency management (measurable) to help support public health nursing staff to make an informed decision about which certification to pursue in preparation for Medicaid Transformation that will initiate in July 2019 (relevant).

Example 2:

Domain: 6: Public Health Sciences Skills

Competency: 6A6a. Use research to inform the practice of public health nursing.

SMART goal: By the end of this month (July 31, 2018; time-bound), add 2 hours per month as permanent event in monthly calendar (achievable, time-bound, measurable) to read current literature r/t PHN practice (specific, relevant). Provide short synopsis of each relevant article during monthly PHN staff meeting (achievable, measurable).

Now, your turn!

  1. Domain:

Competency:

SMART goal:

  1. Domain:

Competency:

SMART goal:

  1. Domain:

Competency:

SMART goal:

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OK, you are finished; now what?

Start thinking about how you can integrate the C/PHN competencies into your PHN practice. First, you can honor the work you have done in this learning activity by carrying out the work needed to fulfil your SMART goals. Also,consider integrating the competencies into your job description or workplan. Public Health Foundation (PHF) provides numerous examples of integrating the competencies into job descriptions using the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. Check them out here: . PHF also has examples of competency-based workforce development plans here: . Better yet, consider creating a SMART goal right into your workplan about integrating the C/PHN competencies into your job descriptions!

And, one last important note! Don’t miss out on taking advantage of the C/PHN Competency Evaluation Tool provided in Appendix A of the Community/Public Health Nursing (C/PHN) Competenciesdocument. Consider making a version of this tool that fits your practice area and integrate it into your agency’s performance management plan.

References

Goal setting for nursing learners: Learning the art of S.M.A.R.T. goals.(2016, December).

Nightingale College Blog. Retrieved from

Olson, N. (2014). Self-reflection: Foundation for meaningful nursing practice. Reflections on Nursing Leadership.

Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing. Retrieved from

Quad Council Coalition Competency Review Task Force. (2018). Community/Public Health Nursing

Competencies. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/shlittle/Downloads/QCC-C-PHN-COMPETENCIES-Approved_2018.05.04_Final-002%20(2).pdf

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