G-2001-16120

This investment supports the New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) to continue to lead the Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) Initiative aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating the impact of a replicable interprofessional model for integrating interprofessional oral health competencies in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. OHNEP is the nursing “arm” of NIIOH. In 2019, oral health officially became a part of the midwifery profession and the core competencies were revised accordingly. OHNEP has been featured in several national conferences and program leads have been particularly effective at demonstrating how oral health fits into an interprofessional approach for both older adults and young children. The goals of the OHNEP for Year 10 are to: expand support for integration of interprofessional oral health content and clinical competencies in nursing programs, with a particular focus on virtual faculty development, curriculum integration and establishment of "best practices" in clinical setting; package, disseminate and evaluate scalable interprofessional models for clinical education and practice that integrate interprofessional oral-systemic health competencies; expand engagement with external health promotion organizations to advance oral health advocacy, education, and policy initiatives for pregnant women, children, and older adults; and increase awareness of OHNEP program and initiatives through national presentations and publications. The proposal will help advance the systems change outcome of integrating oral health into all aspects of healthcare. $209,965 will support staff time associated with coordinating the initiative, evaluation, and sustainability planning.