osp project group two · web view“schools are uniquely situated to support healthy...

Running Head: HEALTHY CONNECTIONS

Healthy Connections

Sherri Gautney, Richardia Gibbs-Hook, Kathy LaPonsie, Mariah Lab, Lauren Luckett,

Adrianne Tozer, Wendy Webster, and Jackie Wirth

Ferris State University

2HEALTHY CONNECTIONS

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to meet the requirement as specified for Ferris State University’s Nursing 440, Leadership in Nursing as part of the RN-BSN program. The project is called Organizational Strategic Plan (OSP). The idea is to work in a group to establish a healthcare need within the community and develop a plan to fulfill the need. After completing an assessment of children in the public school system, it was decided that there was a distinct need for healthcare education and prevention. The plan entails the assessment phase, mission statement, philosophy, goals, objectives, job descriptions, implementation strategy, and budget guidelines.


OSP Project Group Two

Step One

External Assessment

“Schools are uniquely situated to support healthy behavior of children and adolescents as

they acquire lifelong habits that include maintaining a healthy weight (Hoxie-Setterstrom &

Hoglund, 2011, p. 330).” Schools are required by the federal government to have wellness

policies in place to participate with in the National School Lunch Program that promote healthy

eating and exercise (Hoxie-Setterstrom & Hoglund, 2011). Hoxie-Sterstrom & Hoglund (2011)

found schools evaluated had vaguely written policies resulted in limited changes in school

environment.

In the current economic climate, schools are being asked to provide more services with

less money. Budget cuts within the public school system have made it difficult for many

organizations to maintain extra support staff, including school nurses. The historic role of a

school nurse was put in place to tend to injuries, manage medications due during the school day,

and monitor children for illness. As evidence has shown, preventative healthcare is just as

important as treating current illnesses. Through the years, the role of the school nurse became

much larger. Including the nurse’s previous duties, nurses began to educate children on eating

healthy, blood pressure, heart rate, exercise, smoking prevention, and drug/substance abuse

prevention.

The number of youth who experience preventable health related problems has tripled

since 1991. “More effective school health programs and other policy and programmatic

interventions are needed to reduce risk and improve health outcomes in the youth” (Center

Disease Control, 2012). Many schools have a health education class, but the classes cover a


wide range of information in a short amount of time and do not focus on topics that affect those

in the class. The health programs and education need to incorporate topics that affect the

students now and can influence their future.

There are programs that schools can implement like Play 60 to promote wellness. The

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) (2013) has developed a program for schools to

strengthen polices and approaches on health and wellness to help change the culture of the

school through a six step process. This program has personnel that help provide the tools and

education to school staff on the six step process. The school staff then has the ability to educate

children. With school staff shortages and decreasing budgets, it is challenging for schools to

utilize these resources.

A program that provides the staff and funding for a wellness program with screening and

education for health specific needs of the school population could be beneficial. Many nursing

programs are encouraging students to participate in community projects like volunteering in

schools. A program that promotes wellness and a healthy school environment will provide

nursing students with clinical experience. A web search of similar programs did not yield any

results. For these reasons, the proposal for Healthy Connections was developed.

Healthy Connections will be beneficial to both aspiring nursing students and the youth.

The objective is to identify at risk individuals, at risk behaviors, providing education to prevent

disease, and promote a healthy lifestyle. The nursing student curriculum varies per state and

program, but a community partnership will build professional identity. The college can

incorporate this learning experience under multiple titles including: community service,

delegation, and nurse educator. The nursing student is able to identify the objective, the nursing

roles, practice standards, and how to meet these expectations in regard to the profession and the


clients that they are aiding (Ramierz, Zimmerman, & Judson, 2013). The education of the school

aged students and nursing students is expanded when this partnership reaches its full potential.

Internal Assessment

In developing Healthy Connections, it was determined by the external assessment that

there is a definite need for healthcare education and prevention in the school system. An internal

assessment was then performed to identify staffing matrix, education requirements for student

nurse educators, clinical instruction, funding, scheduling, and job descriptions.

The program works hand in hand with local nursing schools and incorporated into the

nursing programs requirement for program completion. The nursing program will rotate all

nursing students through at a consistent basis to ensure that the needs of the students are met. A

clinical instructor or organizational staff will be available at all times to assist the student nurse.

The student nurse is not meant to replace a school nurse, but to supplement and potentiate the

school nurse’s role.

The school is also provided with additional resources such as websites and state

mandated reports in regards to health promotion. This information will be shared with families

for educational purposes and reinforcement on the importance of the program. Identifying health

concerns earlier in life makes it easier for school age children to transition into adulthood with

the ability to make educated decisions toward living a healthy lifestyle.

The group will look at community organizations, local hospitals, grants and the college as

potential funding sources. The number of staff needed to implement this program is to be

determined and would depend on the partnership between the college and Healthy Connection.

There is a need for a minimum one person to oversee and coordinate services.


Step Two

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide educational services to schools and children throughout

Michigan. Healthy Connections has the ability to provide these services using measurements

and diagnostic skills. Our purpose is to provide education to students and their families with the

use of preventative techniques to help guide and influence future healthcare choices and

decisions.

Step Three

Philosophy

The philosophy of Healthy Connections is to provide unrivaled access to preventative

healthcare and educational needs. Dedicated healthcare professional students and faculty will

provide primary, secondary, and tertiary education of the highest standard to school age children.

Educational needs will be assessed and supplemented as needed on both a group and individual

basis.

Step Four

Organizational Goals

“Goal-setting is the process of developing, negotiating, and formalizing the targets or

objectives of an organization (Yoder-Wise, 2011, pg.313).” The goals are created with the

intention of guiding employees and students to strive to be successful and work toward common

goals. Healthy Connections goals are:

Empower school age youth with the knowledge to make appropriate healthy lifestyle

choices and apply those choices to their daily lives.


Ensure the school children have the support, resources and knowledge to implement

healthy behaviors into their daily lives.

Recognize children who may be at risk for mental or emotional issues and ensure the

proper chain of follow through as needed.

Involve parents in the implementation of family education programs that promote

healthy eating, exercise, and managing chronic diseases that can affect school

attendance.

Provide nursing students with the opportunity to expand their community healthcare

service experience through assessing, goal setting and teaching children health

education in the public school every semester.

Step Five

Organization Objectives

Healthy Connections objectives were created using specific, measurable, attainable,

reasonable, and time bound (SMART) criteria. The objectives created are to help achieve the

goals created in timely and reasonable manner. The objectives for Healthy Connections are as

follows:

To implement a program that fits the schools educational needs determined by

completing an assessment of the school’s current wellness policies and health education

programs within two weeks from partnering with the school.

To empower school age youth with the knowledge to make appropriate healthy lifestyle

choices and apply those choices to their daily lives.

To perform an assessment of the school’s educational needs regarding healthy lifestyle

choices within two weeks of the program’s implementation.


To provide nursing students with the opportunity to expand their community healthcare

service experience through assessing, goal setting and teaching children health education

in the public school every semester.

To enforce the benefits of community and volunteerism by joining forces between local

colleges and public schools at weekly meetings

To provide nursing students with the ability to develop autonomy and accountability by

allowing them to decide what topic of health best meets the needs of the children and

then evaluate its effectiveness on a weekly basis.

To ensure the school children have the support, resources and knowledge to implement

healthy behaviors into their daily lives.

To provide educational resources online and in print format for the students and parent

with program implementation.

To recognize children who may be at risk for mental or emotional issues and ensure the

proper chain of follow through as needed.

To encourage parent involvement in the implementation of family education programs

that promote healthy eating, exercise, and managing chronic diseases that can affect

school attendance on a daily basis.

Step Six

Organizational Chart

“Organizational structure allows the expressed allocation of responsibilities for different

functions and processes to different entities such as the branch, department, workgroup and

individual” (Jacobides, 2007, pg. 456). Healthy Connections recognizes the importance of

organization and decision making that is both goal oriented and budget oriented. For this reason,


a matrix organizational chart was chosen to best represent the hierarchy of Healthy Connections.

Matrix organizational charts can be used to provide a foundation in which a project can start to

build on.

As noted in Table 1, the matrix organizational chart starts with the program coordinator

and the school district’s superintendent. The chart then branches off into three different sections

to illustrate the three different sites Healthy Connections will implement. Each site will have a

site coordinator/registered nurse (RN) that will work directly with the building administrator.

The site coordinator/RN will oversee the student nurses as they work with the students. Healthy

Connections has proposed three sites for program delivery to achieve a district wide approach.

This structure can be adapted to meet the district buildings and layouts as needed. Involvement

of superintendent and the building administrators in the participating schools are vital to ensuring

that Healthy Connections are meeting the needs of the school district, so they are included in our

organizational structure. The superintendent and the building administrators will change with

each district and they are not a direct member of our organization but an important connection.

Step Seven

Job Descriptions

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary (2010) defines a job description as “an orderly record of

the essential activities involved in the performance of a task that is abstracted from a job analysis

and used in classifying and evaluating jobs and in the selection and placement of employees”.

Accurate job descriptions are essential to ensure that all needs within Healthy Connections are

met. Job descriptions should entail work performance standards, job requirements,

responsibilities, a position overview and desirable attributes. It should also be noted that Healthy

Connections is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will show no bias against applicants.


Healthy Connections will be partnering with the schools and will be utilizing the college

school of nursing’s staff and students. Job descriptions available for the following positions:

Program Coordinator (Appendix A)

(3) Site Coordinators/RN Clinical Instructor (Appendix B)

Nursing student (Appendix C)

Step Eight

Job Advertisement

Healthy Connections will be working directly with the college to advertise for a Program

Coordinator and three site coordinators (See appendix A & B). The positions will be posted in

the local newspaper, The American Nurse, and surrounding area hospitals. Although the site

coordinators will be employees of the college, Healthy Connections and the college will be

partnering together to find the right individuals for these positions.

This group chose to create an advertisement for the Program Coordinator (appendix E)

since theoretically this position would be hired and maintained by Healthy Connections. The

advertisement is intended to find an individual who is self-motivated and committed to the

success of Healthy Connections.

The cost of the advertising will be viewed as an investment as it is important to reach

qualified individuals. The American Nurse Journal provides an excellent financial investment

for advertising (Appendix D). Per The American Nurse Journal, readers of this journal have the

following statistics, 29% of readers have a bachelor’s degree, 40% have a master’s degree, and

11% have a doctorate degree (2013).


The local newspaper will help attract local candidates that may qualify for the position. The

newspaper also allows for the job posting to be posted online to allow a greater audience to view

at no additional cost (Lansing State Journal, 2013).

Step Nine

Budget

A budget is essential in any business or program to ensure that the necessary funds are

available to allocate for income and any necessary expenditures. Operating costs for Healthy

Connections, a non-profit organization will be greatly absorbed by the school in which it will

operate out of. Typical monthly costs such as rent, utilities, internet, fax machine use, and large

amounts of overhead are not necessary for Healthy Connections to operate. Instead an annual

fee of $3600 will be paid to the school district to encompass these costs. Healthy Connections

will employ one full time RN/BSN for the position of Program Coordinator for an annual salary

of $35,000 in addition to $6,000 annually to go toward health benefits.

To initially get the program up and running, it is necessary to invest in advertising to find

the right individual. Consumable products include letterhead, envelopes, postage, paper, and

medical supplies for an additional $2000. Additionally, $1000 will be spent on medical supplies

such as band aids, 4x4’s, tape, stethoscopes, BP cuffs, thermometers, triple antibiotic ointment,

ice packs, splints, ace wraps and scales. A one-time stipend of $1000 will be allotted for office

furnishings. This equates to an annual cost of $48,600. In addition, $6,054 will be put toward

advertising initially and will allow for an ad in the Lansing State Journal, American Nurse

Journal, and allow the ability to actively search online applicants for two weeks.

Annual revenue is based off of grants, donations from the community, and fundraisers for

a total of $80,500. The grant money provided by the Michigan School Nurse Tax Fund has the


ability to help find funding for the program for the first two years along with the start-up of the

program. The program will work vicariously with the college to appropriate funding for

continuation of the program if deemed successful. See Appendix F for budget proposal.

Conclusion

Healthy Connections developed a program in which the local college would be able to

partner with the local school district to provide a clinical site for nurses and provide healthcare

education to students. The plan entails the assessment phase, mission statement, philosophy,

goals, objectives, job descriptions, implementation strategy, and budget guidelines.


References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and

Control. STRYVE: Striving to reduce youth violence everywhere. Atlanta: CDC.

Retrieved from: http://www.safeyouth.gov External Web Site Policy

Hoxie-Setterstrom, G., & Hoglund, B. (2011). School wellness policies: Opportunities for

change. The Journal of School Nursing, 27(5), 330-339.

Jacobides., M. G. (2007). The inherent limits of organizational structure and the unfulfilled role

of hierarchy: Lessons from a near-war. Organization Science, 18, 3, 455-477.

Job description. (2010). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved May 8, 2011,

from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jobdescription

Ramierz, Y. I., Zimmerman, R., & Judson, L. H. (2013). A Student Nurse Externship

Program: Academia and Service Collaboration. Journal of Nursing Regulation,

4(1), 39-44.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2013). How to make our schools healthy: Healthy

Schools Program. Retrieved from

http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2012/11/how-to-

make-our-schools-healthy.html.

http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2012/11/how-to-make-our-schools-healthy.html

http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2012/11/how-to-make-our-schools-healthy.html


Table 1

Healthy Beginnings Organizational Chart

School District Superintendent

Program Coordinator

RN Site Coordinator #1

Student Nurse

Student Nurse

Building Administator #1


Student Nurse

Student Nurse

Building Administrator #2


Student Nurse

Student Nurse

Building Adminastrator

#3


Appendix AProgram Coordinator

Job Title: Program Coordinator/RN Job Code: NURS 450Department: Administration/Nursing Job Grade: 450-1Revision Date: 10/15/13 Equal Opportunity Employer

Position Overview

The program coordinator will be responsible for promoting Healthy Connections and recruiting participating schools. He/she will coordinate with the partnering college to provide resources and student nurses to participate in the program. This position requires supervising and participating in the assessment, development and implementation of a health wellness program. The program provides nursing students with the opportunity to work directly with students in primary and secondary schools. The program coordinator will ensure that the program will follow curriculum guidelines as outlined by the college of nursing and fulfill the identified needs of the participating schools. This position will be responsible for overseeing site coordinators/registered nurses for multiple locations. Communication between the college of nursing, superintendents, principals, site coordinators, and students is essential. The program coordinator will follow Healthy Connections mission statement, goals, and objectives.

Essential Job Functions

Responsible for promoting the program and recruiting schools Responsible for overseeing program development and implementation Facilitate communication between college, employees, and schools Ensure curriculum guidelines are followed Creating protocols and work handbook Supervision of multiple locations Creating and implementing budgets Problem solving Budgeting resources

Minimum Requirements

Previous 3-5 years of experience in a managerial/operations position, preferably in a healthcare setting. BSN, Bachelors in Healthcare Administration or Business Administration required.

Possesses advanced computer skills Past experience writing grants and managing budgets Self-motivated and ability to follow tasks to completion Possesses the ability to communicate effectively Proactive and able to work independently Organized and detail oriented

Appendix B


Site Coordinator

Job Title: Site Coordinator/Clinical Instructor

Job Code: NURS 450-2

Department: Nursing Job Grade: 450-2

Revision Date: 10/15/13 Equal Opportunity Employer

Position Overview

The site coordinator will be responsible for developing and implementing a health wellness program in which nursing students will work directly with school aged children under the supervision of the program coordinator. They will oversee the nursing students’ assessments and interaction with students and will be responsible for providing all teaching supplies and resources. The site coordinator is also responsible for ongoing assessment and evaluation of program.


Ability to communicate with various groups and individuals Ability to multi-task and monitor student progress Scheduling Ensure the nursing students are working within their scope of practice Provide the nursing students with ongoing education and evaluation in order to facilitate

learning and self-improvement. Recommend and assist in developing educational material for the children, including

nutrition, exercise, medication and healthy lifestyle choices. Promote team building and communication Work closely with the program coordinator. Ensure the proper resources and learning material are available

Minimum Requirements

Must hold a current RN license with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Minimum of 3-5 year nursing experience, preferably in nursing education or pediatrics Outstanding organizational skills Strong communication and problem solving skills Self-motivated and ability to follow tasks to completion Up to date on all immunizations including TB test

Appendix CStudent Nurse


Job Title: Student Nurse Job Code: NURS 450-3

Department: Nursing Job Grade: 450-3

Revision Date: 10/15/13 Equal Opportunity Employer

Position Overview

The student nurse will be responsible for implementing the Healthy Connection program for primary and secondary school-aged children. The student nurse will work with the site coordinator (RN) to educate school-aged children how to make healthy lifestyle choices. The site coordinator will provide guidance and assistance to the student nurse to help facilitate their educational needs.


Assess children for their knowledge of healthy lifestyle choices Educate students on healthy lifestyle choices Implement Healthy Connections according to goals and objectives Deliver care in a non-judgmental or discriminatory manner Maintain a secure and trusting environment Maintain confidentiality and privacy of students Effectively communicate with site coordinator, school-aged children and parents

Minimum Requirements Currently enrolled in a nationally accredited nursing program Successfully pass background check Successful completion of first year clinical rotation Basic Life Support Certificate Up to date on all immunizations including TB test Influenza vaccination if it is required from the hosting facility


Appendix DAdvertisement costs

For more information or to place your order, please contact: Tyra London Healthcom Media 215-489-7000 ext. 117

Ad Size 1x 3x 6xFull Page $7675 $7180 $6860Mini Page $5345 $5135 $5035Half Page $5035 $4955 $48803/10 Page $3450 $3320 $31951/5 Page $2905 $2770 $26451/10 Page $2365 $2260 $2198

Issue Dates: The American Nurse is published six times a year, mailed the first week of the 2nd month (the Jan/Feb issue is mailed the first week of Feb), periodicals-class mail. It is also posted on the NursingWorld website.

Lansing State Journal


Appendix E

Advertisement for Program Coordinator

Healthy Connections, an innovative, non-profit health promotion organization is seeking a

dynamic, self-directed professional for the position of Program Coordinator. This position is

responsible for recruiting area schools as well as promoting and implementing the program as

well as overseeing its success. If making a lifelong difference in the lives of youth is your

passion, we want to talk to you. Qualified individuals must possess 3-5 years of managerial

experience, preferably in a healthcare setting. BSN, Bachelors in Healthcare Administration, or

Business Administration required. Contact Healthy Connections and get started in a career that

truly matters.


Appendix F- Budget Proposal

Nonprofit Yearly Expenses

Yearly Revenue

Donations: $500

Grants: $75,000

Fundraisers: $5000

Employee Wages/Benefits

Program Coordinator Salary: $35,000

Work Hours: September-June (Summers off)

Monday-Friday (8am-5pm)

No benefits: $6000 reimbursement

Rent paid to public school

Includes use of fax machine, printer, phones, internet service, utilities and office room: $3600.00

Medical Supplies

Band aids, 4x4’s, tape, stethoscopes, BP cuffs, thermometer, triple antibiotic ointment, ice packs, splint, ace wrap, scales: $1000.00

Office Furnishings (One time expense)

Desk, chair, filing cabinets, etc.: $1000.00

Supplies

Letterhead, envelopes, paper, postage, writing utensils, etc.: $2000.00

Advertising

Ad Design: No cost (Custom design artwork via the web)

Job Advertisement: $6,054- Ads to be placed in Lansing State Journal, American Nurse Today, and online feature to actively search applicants via online resumes.

Gross Annual Overhead-$54,654


Gross Annual Income-$80,500

Additional money for unforeseen circumstances-$25,846

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