Abstract
Teaching the public health core competency of policy development to baccalaureate student nurses was the purpose of this project. This project was implemented through interdisciplinary collaboration of one innovative state health district and the faculty of a large, urban university. Through education in the core competency of policy development, attention to one county's assessed health needs was introduced to its county board of health with the goal of influencing health policy regarding those needs. Data obtained have continued to be used by this county in health planning and grant writing activities and have been built upon by other student groups.