Authors

  1. McElwain, Sharon D. DNP, RN, FNP-BC

Article Content

Population health can be a difficult course to excite nursing students. However, with the recent events of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health has come to the forefront and is receiving the recognition it deserves. Podcasts, traditionally used as a supplement to learning, were created by students in a population health course. Two podcasts were developed to immerse students in the content and apply the knowledge gained. Students were placed in groups of 4 to 5 each and assigned a community within Mississippi and a global community. For the first podcast, students developed a podcast that compared the communities related to population, insurance, morbidity and mortality, top infectious diseases, and educational levels. Application of primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions a public health nurse could initiate were part of the required elements of the podcast. Students each played a role such as the host, a public health nurse, an expert in the field of public health, a figure from the community, or any other person the group decided was relevant to the podcast. A second podcast was developed that included information gathered in a windshield survey. Students applied information gleaned to discover ways the Mississippi community could support a patient with a particular diagnosis. Barriers this patient may incur and solutions to those barriers were included. Flipping the assignment and having students create a podcast added to student interest and showcased their creativity.