The project allowed students and wellness center staff to quantify encounters to record demographic characteristics of the recipients of wellness interventions , as well as characteristics of the services provided . Encounter data included both individual ( one-on-one client teaching , home care visit ) and group ( health fair , blood pressure screening ) data . The data was collected via an online survey managed by CCP ( identified client information was not included in the data tool ; Resick , Miller , & Leonardo , 2015 ).
Demographic data included site location , date of service , client gender , age , and ethnicity . In addition to population demographic information , results quantified the levels of and strategies for primary , secondary , and tertiary prevention ( Resick , Miller , & Leonardo , 2015 ). In addition , the number and type of referrals were collected . Annually , the data manager provides member wellness centers with encounter data results using a summative report on an Excel spreadsheet . These data : introduce students to documentation in non-acute settings ; support documentation that can be included in the needs assessment section of a grant proposal ; and substantiate additional clinical faculty needs in community settings . Encounter data results are valuable to nurseled wellness centers and schools of nursing in assessing student learning experiences and outcomes for Essential VII .
Issue 1 2017 Pennsylvania Nurse 8
Clinical prevention and population health is crucial in the contemporary U . S . healthcare system . With Americans living longer ( Ortman , Velkoff , & Hogan , 2014 ), the incidence of morbidity due to preventable chronic disease is increasing healthcare costs in the U . S . ( Gerteis , Izreal , Deitz , Ricciadi , Miller , & Basu , 2014 ). Chronic diseases , such as hypertension and diabetes , can be prevented or delayed by addressing health determinants through lifestyle choices ( CDC , 2013 ). Programs offered through the nurse-led wellness center model focus on educating individuals on lifestyle changes . Lifestyle education , a time consuming process , is an initiative that our nation ’ s current primary care healthcare system is unable to meet ( National Institutes of Health , 2011 ). While nurse-led wellness centers provide a variety of clinical experiences , lack of revenue streams for health promotion and wellness services create challenges to sustaining this model of care .
Moving from illness-centered care to wellness-centered care in undergraduate nursing education prepares the future nursing workforce to engage in health promotion , community education , and outcomes analysis . The nurse-led wellness center model can fill an immediate healthcare gap that is unmet by the current system . Nurse-led wellness centers also prepare student nurses to meet vital future healthcare needs in both clinical prevention and population health .
Acknowledgement
The authors are grateful for the review of this manuscript and editorial input from NNCC Wellness Committee Members : Joan Miller PhD , RN , FAAN , retired nursing professor at Bloomsburg University and Lianna Orsolini ,
PhD , RN , ANEF , FAAN , Care Delivery and Advanced Practice System Consultant , Bon Secours Health System .
Dedication
This article is dedicated to Dr . Andrea L . Mengel , nursing professor , retired director of the Nursing Department at Community College of Philadelphia and Independence Foundation Chair , who passed away on February 2 , 2016 . Andy ’ s long-term contributions to nursing education , community health and wellness in Philadelphia and beyond are immeasurable .
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