Decreasing health disparities must increase access to care, improve health education and ease navigating the health care system. Community Health Workers (CHW) take on these tasks in professional and culturally competent manners. The Healthy Families Brooklyn (HFB) Program serves residents in two public housing developments in Brooklyn, NY. Healthy Families Advocates (HFA), a type of CHW, are at the core of HFB. Curriculum development for, training of and services provided by the 10 HFA over 19 months are described. Pre and post knowledge assessments of HFAs are analyzed. Data from HFA surveys regarding training were analyzed using grounded theory methods. HFA served 172 unique clients at 222 visits. Services offered include accessing public benefits, health education, and connection to hospitals. There was a significant increase between pre and post assessment knowledge scores (P < 0.01). Taking temperature, building trust, and communicating care and connection emerged as themes related to interpersonal skills used by the HFA. The HFA are committed to moving clients forward in their health knowledge and behaviors. Themes from the HFA survey closely mirrored the HFA training curriculum. Lessons learned pertaining to training needs, data collection, and supervision are explored. The HFB program is a model way of working in communities in New York City and expansion with faith-based groups and other housing development communities is underway. Engaging communities to improve access, screening, prevention and treatment is paramount to the nation's health and the success of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. CHW's role in this mission is integral.
The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative learning activity for online RN-BSN students designed to foster advocacy for vulnerable populations. The Vulnerable Population Advocacy Assignment, included as a component of the online Population-Focused Nursing class, provides students with the opportunity to identify and develop an awareness of issues impacting vulnerable populations and to advocate for policy changes that will influence the health of individuals, families, and populations. RN-BSN students build on previous knowledge and skills in professional communication and advocacy as they develop a policy statement designed to address health disparities impacting local, national, and global populations.
This article describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a family assessment activity that was designed for a transition course in an RN-BSN program. The family assessment activity emphasized diversity and health promotion as key curricular concepts highlighted through the use of constructivist teaching strategies in the online classroom. The activity was developed and implemented by utilizing the Family Health Systems (FHS) approach to family assessment and Healthy People 2020 as a framework for family health promotion. The activity was evaluated through faculty observation and student feedback which is discussed in the article.
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