Public Health Nursing
Faculty Coordinator:
Linda Olson-Keller, MS, APRN, BC
612-626-5144 or olson173@umn.edu
Specialty Area Information:
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with a specialty in Public Health Nursing prepares nurses for leadership as advanced practice public health nurses in management, education, clinical practice, leadership, policy development and advocacy. The three-year DNP program is for students who already hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing, and involves both coursework and a practicum. This specialty offers leadership preparation for nurses desiring expertise in population-based public health nursing practice. Students ground their studies in the science of nursing intervention, moral/ethical issues, and nursing research. They then focus on courses that examine the basis of assessment and intervention of populations, integrating the study of health determinants and health disparities. Practicum experiences are arranged to meet the individual needs of students while also meeting accreditation and certification requirements. In addition to completing core studies in the specialty, students also gain skills in evidence-based practice, program evaluation, informatics, teaching/learning, health economics, health care policy, and epidemiology. A final project that is a systematic investigation of a practice problem is planned, implemented, and completed during the curriculum.
Where applicable, completion of required public health nursing coursework and practice hours provides eligibility to sit for the Advanced Public Health Nurse Certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
With increasing demand for health professionals who have expertise in promoting the health of population groups, graduates of the public health nursing specialty 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, program planning, and intervention,
- advanced development and evaluation of health promotion programs,
- approaches to work with culturally diverse and high-risk populations,
- social justice and social action,
- emergency preparedness, and
- global health issues.
Admissions
- Applications are reviewed once a year and the application priority deadline is November 3. Other DNP applications will be considered on a space available basis or until March 1, 2009.
- 1 year public health nursing experience required
- Those students who are not selected may be placed on a waiting list. If placed on a waiting list, it does not ensure entrance into the specialty area for the following year. If you are not selected from the wait list, you must reapply the following year for consideration.
PHN Faculty
The public health nursing faculty encompasses 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 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.
Courses in the Curriculum:
- Advanced Public Health Nursing
- Behavior, Systems & Organizational Change
- Biostatistics
- DNP Proseminar
- DNP Seminar 1, 2, & 3
- Economics of Health Care Elective
- Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Management
- Epidemiology
- Evidence Based practice
- Health Care Leadership for a Changing World
- Health Disparities & Social Justice
- Health Policy Leadership
- Interdisciplinary Healthcare Informatics
- Introduction to Complementary & Alternative Therapies
- Moral & Ethical Positions in Nursing
- Nursing Research
- PHN Environmental Health Seminar
- PHN Leadership & Administration
- PHN Leadership Practicum
- Population focused PHN Practice 4: Implementation and Evaluation
- Population PHN Practice 1: Assessment & Prioritization
- Population PHN Practice 2: Program Planning & Development
Population
- PHN Practice 3: Political Savvy & Business Acumen
- Program Evaluation
- Public Health Information Management Practicum
- Public Health Priorities in Global Health
- Science of Nursing Intervention
- Teaching & Learning in Nursing
- Certificate electives
More Information
For more information, please contact the Office of Student & Career Advancement 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:
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