Integrating Culture of Health into Nursing Education and Nurses on Boards Training – Arkansas, 2016-2017

Problem Statement:  In 2016 in Arkansas, 34.5% of adults were obese, 39.2% of public school students were overweight or obese, 19% percent were food-insecure, and only 61 percent had access to places for physical activity. This highlights the need to address the social determinants of health (SDH) that make it hard for people to make healthy choices. Nurses are well poised to transform health and health care, but most are not prepared for board service where they lead cross-sector collaborations to build a Culture of Health (COH). Future and current nurses need to learn about SDH, COH, and leading collaborations that create community changes, such as increasing access to healthy food and places to walk.

Approach: We engaged Arkansas nursing deans and directors through workshops about SDH and the COH Framework, and conducted a Delphi study to learn about their perceptions of integrating COH into nursing curricula. We engaged seasoned and emerging nurse leaders through resources, surveys, and Nurses on Boards (NOB) training with the intent of increasing participation and leadership on boards that promote a COH.

Products/Outcome: 1. All deans and directors discussed the importance of including COH and SDH in nursing education in order to improve health. There was no consistency in curricular content/experiences among schools, but consensus in need to update curricula. 2. Emerging nurse leaders reported need for NOB training. A new NOB training model was developed by national facilitators who incorporated COH into the training. Attendees reported increased participation/desire to participate on boards that promote a COH. 3. An online resource list of Arkansas boards that promote a COH was disseminated.

Implications: Engaging schools of nursing on integrating SDH and COH into nursing education, and incorporating COH into NOB training can help develop nursing leaders who are prepared to build healthier communities and transform health.