Office of Nursing

Accomplishments and Challenges
2003-2008

Accomplishments: Leadership and Workforce Advocacy

  • Analyzed, distributed and presented multiple reports and documents regarding the public health nursing workforce data and trends.
  • Conducted statewide surveys on nursing recruitment and retention issues (e.g., collection of scenarios regarding the recruitment and loss of Public Health Nurses, Turnover Rates, Vacancy Rates and enumeration data and survey of districts regarding actual recruitment and retention practices).
  • Developed a summary document regarding the PHN workforce challenges and opportunities for the Public Health Study Committee. Coordinated plans for the Public Health Study Committee meeting on nursing, December 19, 2006 and presented at the meeting.
  • Convened PHN leaders to identify and review effective recruitment and retention strategies.
  • Convened a special workgroup to address the factors contributing to high turnover among state office nurses and produced recommendations for action. During 2003-2005, developed and submitted five proposals to the Division to address the nursing crisis statewide. Three proposals have been submitted to the Division to address the crisis of attracting and keeping State Office Nurses.
  • Invited to serve on Governor Perdue’s Committee to address nursing faculty shortage.
  • Initiated and convened the Future of Georgia Public Health Nursing Committee.
  • Submitted a proposal to the Division to link the QA/QI program to Division Performance Improvement goals.
  • Developed and published a Public Health Nursing Handbook. This was added to the Nursing Section website to provide resources to public health nurses interested in furthering their nursing and/or public health education.
  • Conduct an annual customer service survey to measure levels of satisfaction with the performance of the Nursing Section.
  • Initiated transition of the nursing continuing education provider program from the Nursing Section to the Office of Training and Workforce Development. Submitted provider application to Georgia Nurses Association in August 2006 which was approved; successfully transitioned administrative oversight of this program to OTWD in October 2006.
  • Researched options for procuring access to electronic resources and secured buy-in from OTWD to purchase these resources through GaIN for all 2 Peachtree DPH employees.
  • Coordinated development, publication and distribution of the Georgia Public Health Nursing Toolkit for Educating Legislators and Partners.
  • Currently serving as an active leader on multiple workgroups and committees with the Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing (ASTDN). These activities include the following:
    1. Serves on Emergency Preparedness Committee
    2. Serves on the Executive Steering Committee to develop ASTDN’s infrastructure and strategic plan
    3. Serves on the By-Laws Committee

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