A needs assessment of health department employees in Puerto Rico and Florida.
Health Promot Pract
; 15(1 Suppl): 23S-32S, 2014 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24578362
Public health training centers were established to enhance competencies in skills required to meet 21st-century public health challenges. In 2011, the Puerto Rico-Florida Public Health Training Center conducted surveys to assess the training needs of two populations of public health workers serving Hispanic communities: Florida Department of Health employees and workers at the regional and central offices of the Puerto Rico Department of Health. The two surveys were similar, but not identical in content and administration. A 52.6% response rate was achieved in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, where limited computer access necessitated use of a pen-and-paper survey. A 20.7% response rate was achieved in Florida, where an online survey was used and incomplete responses were problematic. Puerto Rico respondents (n = 1,414) were similar in age (Mdn age = 48 years) to Hispanic Florida respondents (n = 546, Mdn age =45 years). They also reported higher levels of academic achievement and more years of experience in public health. Nevertheless, self-assessed public health competency scores were in the low- to mid-range for Hispanic respondents in both locales. Although self-assessed training priorities differed, Hispanic employees in both jurisdictions preferred hands-on and face-to-face training to distance learning. Findings indicate a need for training based on adult learning theory, targeted to entry-level employees, and addressing the top five self-assessed training needs, especially health promotion and disease prevention and public health law and policy, which emerged as priority training areas in both survey populations.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Competência Profissional
/
Saúde Pública
/
Desenvolvimento de Pessoal
/
Avaliação das Necessidades
Tipo de estudo:
Qualitative_research
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
/
Equity_inequality
Limite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
/
Caribe
/
Puerto rico
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Health Promot Pract
Assunto da revista:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Porto Rico
País de publicação:
Estados Unidos