Report No. 027-12

TO: Chair and Members of the Board of Health
FROM: Graham L. Pollett, MD, FRCPC, Medical Officer of Health
DATE: 2012 February 16

Student Education Program

Recommendation

It is recommended that Report No. 027-12 re Student Education Program be received for information.

Background

The Health Unit, for over 30 years, has participated in the education of post-secondary students.  The Student Education Program involves responding to requests from post-secondary educational institutions or students for a variety of student experiences, coordinating placements and requests for presentations to students by Health Unit staff, providing orientation to students and liaising with staff, faculty and students throughout their placements.  The Student Education Program promotes both the practice and science of public health.

This is the first report to the Board of Health regarding student education since the closure of the Public Health Research, Education and Development (PHRED) Program in 2010.  At that time, the Student Education Coordinator position was reduced from one full-time equivalent to half-time and, along with the position of Librarian, became part of Human Resources and Labour Relations Services.  Ms. Karen Jenkins has served as the Student Education Coordinator since 2003 and in 2011 successfully defended her Masters thesis, entitled, Exploring Public Health Nurse Preceptors’ Experience of Learning.

In 2010, Ms. Jenkins also worked half-time on the Child Health team in Family Health Services.  Her experience and the leadership she demonstrated in her interactions with other PHRED Student Coordinators led to a request from Public Health Ontario (PHO) (then known as the Ontario Agency for Health Promotion and Protection) that led to her secondment to PHO to coordinate a province-wide initiative to enhance student education in public health.  This half-time secondment was originally for one year, but it may be extended for a further five months.  More information about the accomplishments of PHO’s Student Placement Education and Preceptorship Network and Ms. Jenkin’s involvement may be found at:     

http://www.oahpp.ca/resources/projects/srke/student-education-and-preceptor-support/resources.html

The following provides a summary of the student education activities at the Health Unit coordinated by Ms. Jenkins with the support and contribution of many staff and partner organizations.  More than 100 staff members have worked directly with or instructed students in the last two years.  

Student Education Activities During 2011

In 2011, staff members provided 85 lectures and classes at Fanshawe College and Western University (WU), reaching 2,120 post-secondary students.  As well, Health Unit staff provided 589 student placements from a variety of disciplines including nursing, medicine, nutrition, environmental health, and dental assistant  (Appendix A).  Of the 589 placements, 224 were year three nursing students from the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing (WU), who participated in the Health Unit flu clinics.  The student involvement in flu clinics has proven to be a worthwhile partnership between the Health Unit and the School of Nursing.

Over the past two years, the Health Unit has also been participating in a marginalized community elective for year four medical students as part of the Global Health and Communities Program offered by the WU School of Medicine and Dentistry.  Students are provided with opportunities to work alongside staff to offer primary care to individuals in marginalized communities.

Student Education Activities for 2012 will focus on continued support of staff and students through the coordination of student placements.  A staff intranet section has been developed which includes resources and tools for staff working with students. As well, staff members will continue to build relationships with faculty members at WU and will seek opportunities to promote the incorporation of public health content into curriculum.

Summary

The Student Education Program meets the requirement in section 6.15 of the Ontario Public Health Organizational Standard “to foster an interest in public health practice for future health professionals by supporting student placements”.  It is a professional obligation to support learners in order to recruit the next generation of workers and to invest in the future of public health.

Comments from a student . . .

“I can not think of anything I would do to improve this placement. I also really enjoyed the team I was able to work with as they all value team work and work together to get things done. The rest of the team (including casuals) were very willing to work with me and teach me many new skills.”

This report was prepared by Ms. Karen Jenkins, Education Coordinator, Human Resources and Labour Relations Services and by Ms. Louise Tyler, Director, Human Resources & Labour Relations.

Graham L. Pollett, MD, FRCPC
Medical Officer of Health

This report addresses 
Administration Policy # 5-160 - Placements/Field Experiences For Post-Secondary Students 
Ontario Public Health Standards – Foundational Standard re knowledge exchange and relationships with academic partners
Organizational Standard and Accountability Agreement re 6.15 Staff Development re student placements