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Web site for public health nurses wins national award
The American Academy of Nursing recognized Stepping Up: Prevention Strategies for Pregnancy, Parenting and Infancy with an honorable mention in their 2004 National Media Awards competition.

The Web site is located at http://steppingup.washington.edu and is designed for public health nurses and other care providers working with first-time mothers living at or below the poverty level. Kathryn E. Barnard, Spence Endowed Professor of Nursing, was the creative force behind using the Web to share up-to-the minute research and tested clinical practice strategies with state public health nurses, especially those working in remote areas without easy access to more traditional educational resources. Under her direction, a team of experts that included Associate Professor of Nursing Rebecca Kang; Lana Conrad, ARNP, a doctoral student in nursing; and Kathleen Dannenhold, writer and editor, spent several months creating the new site with the assistance of UW Web designers Aubrey Hale and Greg Owen.

The site features free, downloadable materials for both providers and clients, as well as research summaries, links to other resources, and an online discussion board. Although primarily designed for nurses, it was developed as a public resource and can be accessed by anyone interested in health and wellness issues for pregnant and parenting women.

Barnard is principal investigator on the Washington State Plan for Nurses and works closely with the First Steps program funded by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Medical Assistance Administration. A recipient of numerous awards for her research and work on behalf of infants and families, she is also founder and director of the UW Center on Infant Mental Health.

The Stepping Up site and other award recipients will be featured on the American Academy of Nursing Web site at http://www.aannet.org, as well as in an upcoming issue of Nursing Outlook.

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