Public Health Nurse Orientation and Resource Guide
The PHN Orientation and Resource Guide identifies a number of subject/topic areas that are critical for public health nurses to have a basic understanding of and includes a compendium of related resources. The orientation plan incorporates a variety of methodologies and experiences utilizing the expertise of resource people at both the local and state level as well as self-study.
Use this document in conjunction with the information below to move through the guide.
Download: Public Health Nursing Orientation and Resource Guide (DOC)
Contents
I. Analysis/assessment
II. Policy development/program planning
III. Communication
IV. Cultural competency
V.
Community dimensions of practice
VI. Public health sciences
VII. Financial planning and management
VIII.
Leadership and systems thinking
IX. Orientation tools and templates
X. Professional support
I. Analysis/assessment
A. Local public health system development
- Public health system development in Minnesota: Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Health: Visit Publications from the Center for Public Health Practice, and use your browser's find function to search for the latest report
B. State public health improvement goals
C. Healthy People 2020 objectives
- About Healthy People, US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
D. Public health data
- Minnesota Center for Health Statistics, MDH
- Minnesota Public Health Data Access Portal, MDH
- Data resources 101, MDH
E. State health improvement framework
F. Data practices and HIPAA
- Health information privacy, HHS
- HIPAA and ACA: Privacy and security information, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Notices related to health records (incl. Access to Health Records Notice of Rights), MDH
- New rule protects patient privacy, secures health information, HHS
- Checklist for HIPAA notice of privacy practices, Holland & Hart
- HIPAA compliance, American Medical Association
G. Records retention
- General records retention schedules available online, Minnesota Historical Society
- Preserving and disposing of government records (PDF), Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota State Archives
- Resources, Local Public Health Association of Minnesota (LPHA)
H. E-health
- Electronic health record (EHR) information, MDH
- Minnesota Interoperable Electronic Health Record Mandate, MDH
I. The Omaha System
II. Policy development/program planning
A. Legislative process
- How a bill becomes law in Minnesota, Minnesota State Legislature
- Frequently asked questions about the Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota State Legislature
- Advocacy and public policy resources, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
- Public health advocacy, LPHA
- Legislative process 101 (PDF), Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC)
B. Public health law
- Public Health Law Center, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
- The Network for Public Health Law
C. Federal poverty guidelines
- US federal poverty used to determine financial eligibility for certain federal programs, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
D. Clean Indoor Air Act
E. Public health nuisances
F. Clandestine drug labs
- Meth lab program, MDH
III. Communication
A. Social marketing
- Public health communications toolkit (archived), National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO)
- Gateway to health communication and social marketing practice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Social media at CDC, CDC
- In the know: Social media for public health, CDC
B. Media relations
C. Using a public health logo
- Public health logo, NACCHO
D. Politics of public health
- The political face of public health, Brown LD, Public Health Reviews
- Working with Policy Makers, Community Action Kit
E. Building and maintaining public trust
F. State contacts and maps
- Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section, MDH
- Map of field services epidemiologists, MDH
- Public health preparedness consultants, MDH
- Environmental Health Division: Organizational information, MDH
- Environmental Health Division: Program contacts, MDH
- Who is my public health system consultant? MDH
G. Generational differences in the workplace
- Content forthcoming
H. Public employees and lobbying
- Officials, Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
- Model ethics policy (PDF), AMC
I. Open meetings
- Minnesota Open Meeting Law (PDF), Dyson DA, Minnesota House of Representatives Research Department
- Minnesota's Open Meeting Law (PDF), AMC
IV. Cultural competency
A. Health equity and health disparities
- Advancing health equity in Minnesota: Report to the Legislature (PDF), MDH
- HEDA: Conducting a health equity data analysis: A guide for local health departments in Minnesota, MDH
B. Social determinants of health
- Unnatural causes, California Newsreel, NACCHO
- Toolbox (choose "Health equity and social justice toolkit" from the Refine By box), NACCHO
- The raising of America: Early childhood and the future of our nation, California Newsreel
- The spirit level: Why greater equality makes societies stronger, Wilkinson RG, Picket K, Bloomsbury Press
- Social determinants of health, HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
C. Cultural competence
- Cultural competence, MDH
- Center for Health Equity, MDH
- National CLAS standards, HHS Office of Minority Health
- Understanding culture and diversity in building communities, Community Tool Box, University of Kansas Center for Community Health and Development
- Cultural competence checklist: Personal reflection (PDF), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
V. Community dimensions of practice
A. Networks, partnerships, and coalitions
- Creating and maintaining partnerships, Community Tool Box, University of Kansas Center for Community Health and Development
B. Importance of community engagement
C. Meeting facilitation
- The Art of Hosting
- Facilitation resources, University of Minnesota Extension
- Liberating structures
VI. Public health sciences
A. Public health history
- Public health history, DeKalb County Board of Health
B. Public health basics
- Population-based public health nursing, DeKalb County Board of Health
C. Evidence-based practice
- The community guide, HHS
- Cochrane Library, Wiley
- SHIP strategies, MDH
- Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice: Model and guidelines (3rd ed.), Dang D, Dearholt SL, Sigma Publishing
- Expertise and services, Stratis Health
D. Public health intervention wheel
E. Public health nursing cornerstones
F. Ten essential public health services
- Core functions of public health and how they relate to the 10 essential services, CDC
- Minn. Stat. § 145A.02. Definitions, Minnesota Office fo the Revisor of Statutes
G. Areas of public health responsibility
- Areas of public health responsibility within the Local Public Health Act, MDH
- Government's responsibility for Public Health, MDH
H. Communicable disease reporting
I. Environmental health topics
VII. Financial planning and management
A. Minnesota's public health system
B. Local Public Health Act
- Chapter 145A. Community health boards, Office of the Revisor of Statutes
C. Working with grants
- Writing a successful grant proposal, Davis B, Minnesota Council on Foundations
- Grants and contracts, HHS
D. At the tribal level
- Indian Affairs Council, State of Minnesota
- Indian affairs, US Department of the Interior
E. At the state level
- Minnesota state government (PDF), Secretary of State
F. At the federal level
- Public health systems and best practices, CDC
- About the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), US Department of Health and Human Services
- US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) organizational chart, US Department of Health and Human Services
VIII. Leadership and systems thinking
A. Public health core competencies
- Competency assessments for public health professionals, Public Health Foundation
B. Public health nursing cornerstones
C. Public health ethics
- An ethics framework for public health, Kass NE, American Journal of Public Health
- Principles of the ethical practice of public health (PDF), Public Health Leadership Society
- Good decision making in real time: Practical public health ethics for local health officials (archived), NACCHO
IX. Orientation tools and templates
A. Orientation checklist examples
- Itasca County Public Health Division orientation plan (PDF)
- Mille Lacs County CVS orientation, new employee: Public health nurse, DP&C/PHEP (PDF)
- Mille Lacs County CVS orientation, new employee: Public health nurse, family home visiting (PDF)
- Mille Lacs County CVS orientation, new employee: Public health nurse, long-term care (PDF)
- Stearns County Human Services Public Health Division new employee orientation (PDF)
B. Training resources
- Bloodborne pathogens presentation (PDF), Itasca County
- Itasca County bloodborne pathogens exposure quiz (PDF)
- Itasca County right-to-know training (PDF)
- Thinking beyond the silos: Emerging priorities in workforce development for state and local government public health agencies, Kaufman NJ et al, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
C. Orientation policies and procedures
- Public Health Division orientation process (PDF), Stearns County
X. Professional support
A. Nurse Practice Act
- Minnesota Board of Nursing
Minnesota Health Licensing Board
B. Job safety
- US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
US Dept. of Labor - Occupational Safety and Health Standards: Toxic and hazardous substances: Bloodborne pathogens
US Occupational Safety & Health Administration - State occupational safety and health plans: Minnesota state plan, US Department of Labor
C. Personal safety
D. Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Assistance Program
Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust
E. Labor negotiation and contracts
- Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services
State of Minnesota
