WHO Collaborating Center for Leadership in Nursing Development

Contact Tracing for COVID-19 Basic Course

Considering how contact tracing remains as a major component in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the community, the college developed a training program that  was intended to train key persons on how to conduct training in the local government units on the proper implementation of contact tracing for Covid-19 in their areas. A meeting was initially held in collaboration with WHO Philippines, DOH, and DILG to determine the direction and context of the contact tracing activities in local government units. With this, the following deliverables were set: modules, slide deck, videos, and a handbook. Four training modules were developed to support this training: (1) COVID-19 Overview and Situation Update; (2) Policies, Guidelines, and Ethico-legal Issues; (3) Definition, Goals, and Steps in Contact Tracing; and  (4) Other Key Considerations in Contact Tracing. The slide deck contained graphics and animation to accompany the modules and to support self-learning. The promotional video (produced in English, Filipino, and Bisaya) was to increase public awareness on the importance of contact tracing for COVID-19 and the basic steps involved in conducting contact tracing in the local government units. The handbook contained a review of current practices in the local government units. The final products were deployed in the DOH Health Academy course site from November 16 – December 31, 2020 with participants across different regions and health-related professions participating.

Geriatrics for Primary Health Care Providers

This project was done in close collaboration with the WHO and DOH to develop a training program that catered for primary care workers involved in promoting healthy aging and the care of older persons, and was made to be accessible online to enable self-directed learning. This program primarily consists of three modules: (1) Understanding Older Persons, (2) Providing Care for Older Persons, and (3) Promoting Age-friendly Primary Health Care Settings. The modules were integrated in synchronous and asynchronous sessions – through the use of lectures using modules, slides, and videos- in which participants can engage in. Discussion forums, assignments, and other learning activities were also set up to show the participants’ attainment of the learning outcomes.

Collaborate for Health:  Developing Competencies for Interprofessional Education

This seminar was organized by the University of the Philippines Community Health and Development Program in partnership with the UP College of Nursing. The event had discussions concerning interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative care (IPCC), more specifically the basic principles of IPE, strategies on how to implement IPE, process of how to design an IPE workshop utilizing an interactive case-based approach and how to assess learning outcomes from IPE. Participants of the seminar came from 12 different professions (Dentistry, Medical Technology, Medicine, Midwifery, Nutrition, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Public Health, Social Work and Speech Pathology). Six foreign participants from the nursing academe of Cambodia, Japan, Myanmar and Vietnam with Dr. Hideomi Watanabe from Gunma University and current director of WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training on Interprofessional Education were also invited to the seminar, which was facilitated by UPCN as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Leadership in Nursing Development.

Survey on the implementation of interprofessional education

In 2008, WHO commissioned an environmental scan to provide answers to questions such as: where in the world Interprofessional Education (IPE) occurs, how IPE is conducted, and why IPE is offered. Ten years after the commissioned environmental scan, this study was conducted to determine the status of IPE implementation in Asian nursing schools in the WHO Western Pacific Region (WPR), including the Philippines. Specifically it aimed to: (1) describe the status of IPE implementation and IPE practices in nursing schools in the Philippines and Asian countries in WPR; (2) determine facilitators, barriers, and issues in the implementation of IPE; (3)  identify best practices in implementing IPE including effective strategies and key elements for success; and (4) develop recommendations for developing capacity-building programs for enhancing IPE in nursing schools. This was done as part of the terms of reference of the UP College of Nursing as a WHO Collaborating Center for Leadership in Nursing Development. Results of the study showed implications to the necessary steps to be taken in order to fully and widely implement IPE in Asian Nursing Schools.

Training Manual for Health Workers on Health Lifestyle: An Approach for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases

This training manual is created by the University of the Philippines Open University and the college to address the rising morbidity and mortality rate attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the country. It includes health promotion strategies such as information dissemination, health education, communication, and social mobilization using different forms of media and technology and is focused on five areas: (1) risk factors assessment and screening for major NCDs, (2) diet and nutrition, (3) physical activity, (4) tobacco and alcohol control and (5) mental health and wellness. This training manual will serve as a guide for primary health workers in promoting healthy lifestyle in communities.

Integrating Prevention and Control of Smoking/Tobacco Use in the Nursing Curriculum

To curb the increasing cases of mortality attributed to smoking-related diseases, the college created a workshop on integrating Prevention and Control of Smoking/Tobacco Use in the Nursing Curriculum. This workshop is an effort towards increasing the knowledge of nurses on the magnitude of the smoking problem and enhancing their skills and competencies in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in the nationwide campaign to curb the problem of increasing cases of NCDs as a result of smoking. Nursing students are part of the vulnerable group of potential smokers; when enlightened with the hazards of smoking, they can play key roles in the prevention and control of tobacco usage within their families, peer groups, and communities they belong and/or serve.

Development of a Training Program on the Noncommunicable Diseases Education Manual for Primary Health Care Professionals

The NCD Education Manual, a manual that includes detailed counseling guidance for primary health care professionals on educating and addressing NCDs, was produced by the WHO WPRO 2017. The college aimed to develop a training program that would enable the integration of the use of this manual to complement the routine risk factor assessment and interventions done by the health care professionals in primary health care facilities. The pilot implementation of the program was done in Marikina and was done in collaboration with the primary health care professionals in the said area. Topics of the training program included risk assessment of common NCDs such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, nutrition, physical activity, and smoking.

Promoting School Health: Updating Urbani School Health Kit

The Urbani School Health Kit was created in 2006 through the collaboration between WHO Western Pacific Region – Health Promotion Unit, the University of the Philippines Open University, the Department of Health and WHO-Philippines. This kit contains a Teacher’s Guide on these six topics: personal hygiene, intestinal parasitism, nutrition, oral care, tobacco, environmental health, prevention of malaria, dengue, and filariasis. The training program on the implementation of the Urbani School Health Kit was done with the Department of Education – Division of City Schools Manila teachers from District V with the purpose of enabling pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to lead an active, healthy lifestyle in the Western Pacific Region.