Health care continues to be a hot button issue, but public health nursing, in particular, plays a significant role in improving health and thereby lowering the cost of health care. Public health nursing is less about clinical bedside nursing and more about influencing healthful behavioral changes that will improve an individual’s health and positively influence those who reside in that person’s immediate community (friends, family, coworkers and neighbors).
A new book offering from the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) aids that process by guiding readers, intuitively, through the principles and competencies of public health nursing. Collectively developed by a consortium of public health nurses in public and academic sectors, this easy-to-use book, titled Population-Based Public Health Clinical Manual: The Henry Street Model for Nurses, stands out from existing public health textbooks in its affordability and also in its hands-on and friendly approach. Elements include case studies, actual student nurse notebooks, evidence examples, activities, ethical considerations, learning examples, reflective practice, key points and an interactive activity called “Think, Explore, Do.”
Authors Marjorie Schaffer, Carolyn Garcia and Pat Schoon based their book on the Henry Street Consortium’s framework of 11 population-based, entry-level public health nursing competencies and made evidence-based practice an integral component. Each competency is given a full chapter for thorough learning.
About the authors
Marjorie A. Schaffer, PhD, MS, RN, PHN, is a professor or nursing at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, and recipient of the 2010 Bethel University Professor Award for her scholarly work. A founding member for the Henry Street Consortium, Schaffer has taught public health nursing for more than 25 years and is the author of more than 40 articles and book chapters. She is the co-author of Being Present: A Nurse’s Resource for End-of-Life Communication, also published by STTI.
Carolyn M. Garcia, PhD, MPH, RN, PHN, is assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota and an adjunct faculty member in the university’s School of Public Health. Her career of public health, which spans more than 15 years, includes serving at refugee camps in Rwanda. A past president of STTI’s Zeta Chapter, Garcia currently serves on the advisory committee for the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency.
Patricia M. Schoon, MPH, RN, PHN, is an adjunct associate professor at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and a clinical instructor for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. A founding member of the Henry Street Consortium, Schoon has taught nursing and public health for more than 35 years. She has developed innovative community programs, including a foot-care clinic for the homeless and a faith-based program for older adults.
Ordering information
Population-Based Public Health Clinical Manual: The Henry Street Model for Nurses; authored by Marjorie Schaffer, PhD, MS, RN, PHN; Carolyn Garcia, PhD, MPH, RN, PHN; and Patricia Schoon, MPH, RN, PHN; published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International; ISBN: 978-1-930538-97-9; price: US $44.95; trade paperback, 400 pages; trim size: 8 x 10; available at www.nursingknowledge.org/STTIbooks. RNL
