My practicum placement was at the Chief Public Health Office (CPHO) of Prince Edward Island, where I supported various projects within the Health Promotion Unit. Notably, the primary focus of my practicum placement was to support the evaluation of the PEI Smoking Cessation Program. Through this role, I performed extensive research, developed a program evaluation framework and identified indicators and questions that would provide insight into the program’s success, built and distributed several questionnaires, analyzed qualitative and quantitative data, and developed several documents to support the evaluation report. Throughout my time at the CPHO, I was involved in several other projects and working groups. I made several professional connections, and I was encouraged to involve myself in projects that catered to my interests. Overall, my public health practicum experience at the CPHO exceeded my expectations and complimented my MPH coursework in several ways. I hope that future MPH students will have the opportunity to work alongside the Health Promotion team to complement their MPH experience

or my practicum at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick (Heart & Stroke NB), I had the opportunity to work within the Health Promotion Department. My project was to plan and implement a process improvement strategy for the Live Well | Bien Vivre program (LWBV). LWBV is accessible, bilingual, no charge, professional health coaching for all New Brunswick residents 19 and over. It supports New Brunswickers who want to prevent or manage chronic disease, using behaviour change strategies of coaching, guiding, and motivating. LWBV is funded by the Government of New Brunswick and managed by Heart & Stroke NB. The intent of implementing a process improvement strategy was to increase the time spent by Health Coaches on direct and indirect client care, and to minimize time spent outside of client care, such as on travel or administration. In addition, I established key performance indicators and tracked them throughout the phases of the strategy implementation. This culminated in a final report, where improvements were observed across all indicators!

For my Master of Public Health Practicum, I was given the opportunity to work at Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) with designing and implementing an evaluation plan for virtual programs. My first practicum project involved developing and implementing the evaluation plan for the Virtual Compassionate Care Communities (VCCC) initiatives. The Objectives of the project were to know how successful these virtual activities have been in achieving their goals and provide a routine method for evaluating VCCC programs. My tasks included developing a proposal, developing data collection tools as well as collecting, analyzing and visualizing data. In the data collection process, my role was to help with the coordination and execution of focus groups interviews to evaluate. the application of knowledge to change the quality of life and behavior, and also to get informed of improvement opportunities and barriers. My experience by volunteering in the public health sector showed me how much knowledge I have acquired during my MPH program, how I have developed skills, and how I can apply those skills.

For my practicum placement I worked at a Residential Care Facility as the Chair of the New Organizational Health Committee (OHC) that’s aim was to follow the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. I led focus groups, put out surveys, and met with the newly formed Organizational Health Committee to lead brainstorms, meetings, and action plans. We changed systems and policies, hosted Wellness Weekdays, planned education and organized a day long Health and Wellness Fair. I am grateful for the practicum because it thrust me quickly into a big leadership role. I think that it is important to surround yourself with a team or tribe of people who connect and identify with the same goal. My team was instrumental in my success with the committee and that is also an important lesson for me to take forward in my professional practice.

My practicum took place at a local hospital within the Health and Safety department. I worked with my practicum supervisor to prepare each hospital department for an upcoming Ministry of Labour wall-to-wall inspection. My main responsibility was to arrange, conduct, and follow-up with managerial staff from each department after a “mock” inspection was completed by myself or with my supervisor. I would document and record health and safety concerns within each department and create an action plan for managers. The action plan detailed the concern(s), recommended corrective actions, and contact personnel for future concerns.

One of the practicum projects I undertook involved critically appraising the existing body of literature, as well as evaluating credible online information sources, to compare and contrast provincial residential tenancy legislations across Canada. The primary objective of this project was to assess the impact of these legislations on victims of domestic abuse. A key outcome was the formulation of evidence-based recommendations for amending the British Columbia Residential Tenancy Act to facilitate a more supportive transition process for individuals experiencing abuse.

For my practicum at the Timiskaming Health Unit, I used active surveillance to investigate the risk of contracting Lyme disease from black legged ticks throughout the district. I first had to learn how to identify the various tick species and select the areas where I would perform data collection. The tick collection involved me walking through hiking trails and nature sites with a drag cloth behind me. I examined the cloth for ticks and sent black legged ticks away for testing. The final phase of my practicum required me to provide the agency with a research report of my findings, an oral presentation, and my intervention recommendation. My practicum at the Timiskaming Health Unit provided me with the freedom to make this research project my own. It also provided me with a chance to apply my knowledge and to gain experience that future employers will find valuable.