Graduate Education in Occupational Environmental Health

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DESCRIPTION (Provided by Applicant): This proposal seeks to maintain an existing program in Occupational Health Nursing (OEHN) at the master's and doctoral level at the University of Pennsylvania. The program plays a crucial role in meeting the regional needs for advanced practice nurses to meet the needs of the workforce. Also the program leverages its national reputation in nursing science to educate PhD nurses with the scientific skills needed to address research priorities in occupational health. We are requesting five years of continued funding for both master's and doctoral students with the following goals: 1) Continue to integrate OEHN nurse specialist training at the master's level into the University of Pennsylvania's nationally recognized advanced practice nurse training programs; 2) Contribute to the preparation of the next generation of scientists in occupational and environmental health nursing; 3) Increase the numbers of minority nurses prepared to meet the occupational health and safety needs of an increasingly diverse workplace; and 4) Increase the capacity of all undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania to understand the importance of the occupational and environmental health of our working populations. Our master's OEHN specialty program is housed within our nationally ranked primary care nursing and nursing administration programs and a wide range of occupational sites are available for clinical courses. Our OEHN research training takes advantage of the portfolio of nationally recognized research projects in occupational and environmental health within the Penn School of Nursing. These studies include issues such as immigrant workers, environmental exposures among children, shift work and fatigue, needle stick injuries in health care workers, chemical exposures, biomarkers of exposures and health effects and management of chronic diseases in the workplace. Rigorous evaluation criteria have been established and dissemination of evidence-based practice and research knowledge are of the highest priority. Our program is committed to the recruitment of minorities into advanced practice and PhD study. In addition, this training program presents the opportunity to integrate occupational and environmental health into a number of interdisciplinary, undergraduate and graduate educational programs.