Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115239

Lauren Clark, RN, PhD and Patricia Moritz, PhD, FAAN. School of Nursing C-288, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East Ninth Avenue, Denver, CO 80262, 303-315-1680, lauren.clark@uchsc.edu

Educational policy across health disciplines is decidedly favoring the conversion of existing clinical graduate programs to practice-oriented doctoral programs. Aided by statements from national professional organizations and accrediting agencies, nurse educators are crafting programs for advanced practice nurses pursuing a terminal clinical degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). In public health, concern about the preparation of sufficient numbers of qualified nurses to meet national needs has been long-standing and remains unresolved. This presentation examines how faculty in a School of Nursing developed a new DNP program to build public health competencies into advanced practice education for all specialties in nursing, including advanced public health nursing. Concerns about program cost for the school and for students were considered in this process. The relative pay scale of nurses in public health and other specialties was also considered as they offset the investment in education for students. Once this shift in educational preparation is underway, the competencies of new DNP graduates may lead to changing health policy, including anticipated changes in state practice regulations, standards set by professional certifying bodies, healthcare reimbursement policies of insurers, and regulation of practice scope and standards in healthcare institutions. Public health practitioners can expect a renegotiation of the boundaries of interprofessional practice and standards in the future if the DNP model of nursing education is widely accepted.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Discuss changes in educational policy affecting nursing and the advent of DNP programs nationally.
• Describe a model for addressing educational changes affecting public health nursing, including cost, quality, and outcomes for the program and graduates.
• Analyze the public health policy implications of a practice doctorate for nurses generally, and public health nurses in particular.

Keywords: Nursing Education, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation