Faculty Coordinator:
Linda Olson-Keller, MS, APRN, BC
612-626-5144 or olson173@umn.edu
Specialty Area Information:
The public health nursing (PHN) specialty area prepares graduates with skills necessary for advanced public health nursing positions to address the health issues of populations. A wide array of courses are available throughout the University of Minnesota, which offers students the opportunity to strengthen their disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise. Students can opt to concurrently pursue a Masters of Public Health (MPH) through the School of Public Health as a part of our dual degree program.
With increasing demand for health professionals who have expertise in promoting the health of population groups, graduates of the public health nursing area of study are well positioned to assume leadership roles in the evolving health care field. The PHN area of study provides a foundation of knowledge and practical experiences in the following areas:
- public health sciences,
- advanced population-focused assessment,
- advanced public health intervention skills and program planning,
- development and evaluation of health promotion programs,
- organization and administration of health services,
- approaches to work with culturally diverse and high-risk populations,
- ethical foundations of public health nursing,
- global health issues, and
- applied research.
Students choosing to complete coursework part-time are well accommodated with our curriculum. The PHN degree can be completed as a distance student, in an on-line format. More information about School of Nursing online coursework can be found at the Online Learning website. The University of Minnesota degree curriculum is based on graduate level public health nursing competencies as developed by the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations.
Field Experiences
As part of the PHN area of study, a 180-hour mentored field experience is designed to allow students to develop knowledge and skills in their chosen area of emphasis. Students may choose to complete additional field experiences to further develop clinical skills in public health core areas. Practica are generally scheduled in the student's geographical area and match the student's interests/needs for advanced leadership skills.
PHN Faculty
The public health nursing faculty encompass a wide-array of skills and talents in a variety of public health topics. What binds them is their interest in serving populations. We invite you to visit individual faculty homepages to gain a better understanding of their research and clinical work:
Where do graduates work?
Graduates of the Public Health Nursing (PHN) area of study hold a variety of positions in which they develop programs and policies aimed at improving or protecting the health of the people. Examples of these advanced public health nursing positions are:
- health promotion specialist for a managed care organization,
- consultant with a state health department,
- nursing and public health faculty at universities and colleges,
- directors of county public health departments,
- director of student health services at a regional college,
- supervisor of clinical services for a community clinic,
- planner of patient education for a large outpatient service,
- international non-governmental organizations and governmental agencies,
- occupational and environmental health settings,
- school nurse/school nurse leadership positions,
- public health nurse/public health nurse supervisor of IHS and tribal clinic sites,
- staff development specialist for a home health agency.
More Information
For more information, please contact the Office of Student Services. We are proud of the work of our public health Centers, also a part of the PHN area of study. Please visit their websites to find out more about their work:
A list of required courses is available online.
Return to: Academic Health Center : myU : U of M Home
