Linda
Bearinger, Ph. D.
School of Nursing
308 Harvard Street S.E. STE 5-160
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0342
(612) 624-5157
Email: beari001@umn.edu
Problem. Nursing education has not kept pace with nurses’ diverse roles, the changing
nature of youth problems, and service delivery issues. CAN seeks to improve the health of
adolescents by enhancing nurses’ capacity for AH leadership in academic and public health.
Goals and Objectives.
GOAL 1: Develop Adolescent Health Nursing Leadership through Graduate Education
In each of 5 years, = 2 PhD, and = 3 MS or DNP students focused in adolescent health will enroll in CAN with at least 40%
over the 5 year period from a racial/ethnic minority or rural area.
GOAL 2: Assure Competent Adolescent Health Workforce through Continuing Education
Annually sponsor = 2 CEs with at least one web-enhanced to expand outreach and >20% of participants from
racially/ethnically underrepresented groups, and priority given to MCH students and partners at the UMN.
GOAL 3: Build Capacity of MCH Partners through Technical Assistance and Consultation.
In each of 5 years, provide technical assistance/consultation = 5 county or state health departments, with priority given to
national MCHB requests such as grant review panels and agenda-setting meetings.
GOAL 4: Create and Disseminate of Educational Resources & Scientific Knowledge
Each year, produce Adolescent Health and distribute to 1000+ subscribers including all MCH and State Adolescent Health
Coordinators; each faculty publish = 3 scholarly peer-reviewed papers.
Activities. MS/DNP/PhD curricula integrate courses in adolescent and public health nursing
(PHN) from Schools of Nursing and Public Health (SPH). Student requirements foster research
with diverse youth populations with theoretical, substantive, and methodological mentorship of
CAN faculty. Trainees are BSN-prepared licensed nurses admitted to the MS, DNP, or PhD
nursing programs with priority on minority applicants. CAN partners with Leadership Education
in Adolescent Health (LEAH) (Med School) and MCHB-programs in SPH. Youth and leadership
practica use MCH/community agencies. Training uses 10-12 teens who work as simulated
patients. Annual 4-day Summer Institute in Adolescent Health (AHSI) (CE or graduate credit for
80 participants) enhances capacity for lead roles with adolescent-serving groups, particularly
those most vulnerable. TA spans community to international venues, reaching a multidisciplinary
audience. Peer-reviewed publications, presentations at national meetings and newsletter,
Adolescent Health, support dissemination objectives.
Healthy People 2010 Objectives (of 21 adolescent health objectives). Obj 15-
32: Reduce homicides; 18-07: Increase % of children/adolescents with mental health problems
who receive treatment; 25-11: Increase the % of adolescents who abstain or use condoms.
Coordination. Co-teaching/advising and common core required courses in the MCHBfunded
Center for Children with Special Care Needs (Nursing), the MCH Program (SPH), the
LEAH, and State Adolescent Health Resource Center (Medical School). Two CAN faculty teach
in LEAH. Faculty serve on MCH committees and task forces at city, county, and state levels.
Annual (AHSI) is co-taught with Coordinated School Health within the MN Depts of Education.
Evaluation. CAN faculty, Deans, and curriculum committee, practicum preceptors, long- -
term trainees (tracked after graduation) all contribute to evaluation processes summarized in
Annual Progress Reports: 1) process evaluation for systematic monitoring; 2) outcome
evaluation to measure objective achievement. Data considered yearly for program adaptations.
Experience. In 15 years: new MS/DNP/PhD adolescent nursing curricula, and dissemination
and CE offerings; 58 enrolled or graduated nurses (3 AI, 2 AA, 2 Asian, 1 Hisp, 1 Maori); 12
M.S./ M.P.H; 6 student national research awards; 6 individual NIH, MCHB, or CDC predocs.
Annual 4-day institute with total of 600+ participants; 160+ journal pubs, 13 chapters, 39 extraand
intramural funded research proposals; 300+ UMN graduate /CE courses with an equal
number of national/regional presentations at, e.g. MCHB, NIH, CDC convenings; TA to MCHB
partners, IOM, NINR, NICHD, NIMH (NIH), CDC, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, SAM, IAAH.