TY - JOUR
T1 - Crosscutting competencies for occupational health and safety professionals
AU - Olson, Debra K
AU - Lohman, William H
AU - Brosseau, Lisa M.
AU - Fredrickson, Ann L.
AU - McGovern, Patricia M
AU - Gerberich, Susan G
AU - Nachreiner, Nancy M.
PY - 2005/1/1
Y1 - 2005/1/1
N2 - A change from a quarter system to a semester system presented a convenient opportunity for faculty at the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (a 27-year-old National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-sponsored education and research center) to evaluate the current curriculum. As part of this process faculty identified both individual and crosscutting competencies for four programs: Occupational Medicine, Occupational Health Nursing, Industrial Hygiene, and Occupational Injury Epidemiology and Control. Faculty identified potential competency sets using published literature, course objectives, and content summaries. Common themes, termed crosscutting competencies, were identified. Seventy program graduates (58%) responded to a survey designed to assess the value of, and proficiency in, these competencies based on their postgraduation job experience. All 29 crosscutting competencies were rated as valuable or very valuable by respondents in each of the four programs. There was less agreement between respondents in proficiency ratings, with 24 of 29 competencies rated either proficient or very proficient. Comparing value and proficiency provided an opportunity to further refine the curriculum and a model for enhancing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of future environmental and occupational health professionals. With further testing, we propose this set of crosscutting competencies be considered for adoption as a set of interdisciplinary core competencies for Occupational Health and Safety professionals.
AB - A change from a quarter system to a semester system presented a convenient opportunity for faculty at the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (a 27-year-old National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-sponsored education and research center) to evaluate the current curriculum. As part of this process faculty identified both individual and crosscutting competencies for four programs: Occupational Medicine, Occupational Health Nursing, Industrial Hygiene, and Occupational Injury Epidemiology and Control. Faculty identified potential competency sets using published literature, course objectives, and content summaries. Common themes, termed crosscutting competencies, were identified. Seventy program graduates (58%) responded to a survey designed to assess the value of, and proficiency in, these competencies based on their postgraduation job experience. All 29 crosscutting competencies were rated as valuable or very valuable by respondents in each of the four programs. There was less agreement between respondents in proficiency ratings, with 24 of 29 competencies rated either proficient or very proficient. Comparing value and proficiency provided an opportunity to further refine the curriculum and a model for enhancing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of future environmental and occupational health professionals. With further testing, we propose this set of crosscutting competencies be considered for adoption as a set of interdisciplinary core competencies for Occupational Health and Safety professionals.
KW - academic program evaluation
KW - core competency assessment
KW - curriculum evaluation
KW - occupational health competencies
KW - professional training evaluation
KW - public health competencies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=18944368086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=18944368086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00124784-200505000-00009
DO - 10.1097/00124784-200505000-00009
M3 - Article
C2 - 15829837
AN - SCOPUS:18944368086
SN - 1078-4659
VL - 11
SP - 235
EP - 243
JO - Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
JF - Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
IS - 3
ER -
