Program Description

The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Public Health Nursing - BSN to DNP is an online doctoral program that prepares, supports, and empowers students for 21st century practice focused on interdisciplinary knowledge, leadership, innovation, along with the tools needed to positively impact nursing, healthcare systems, and population health change. Each of the program core courses begins and ends with leadership development. Using the principles of improvement science, students appraise and translate theory and evidence into a culminating project in their own practice. This online graduate degree in nursing will provide students with the academic knowledge, skills, and expertise to become public health nurses.

This program is for licensed registered nurses (current, unrestricted license) who have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and are interested in advancing their careers through earning a DNP and becoming a public health nurse. Prior to enrollment, individuals considering a BSN to DNP program for this specialty should check with their applicable state board of nursing before enrolling in any graduate nursing program for any specific state requirements and required clinical courses for eligibility to apply for licensure. Students in this program are not eligible to receive a Master of Science in Nursing with this degree.

DNP Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate competency-based judgement and holistic caring concordant with an advanced nursing practice specialty or role in diverse populations.
2. Generate, synthesize, translate, apply, and disseminate scientific evidence for advanced nursing practice.
3. Apply ethical principles to shape the future of healthcare delivery with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion; systems‐based practice; team-based care collaboration, informatics and technology; and career‐long learning.
4. Demonstrate a professional identity which includes accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition, and comportment, that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values.
5. Implement an advanced nursing practice specialty or role in selected practice settings.

Public Health Nursing Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student should be able to:

1. Develop health promotion and prevention strategies.
2. Describe the impact of cultural humility on client care in a public health role.
3. Analyze the impact of policy on the planning and delivery of care.
4. Coordinate population-based care in a public health role.
5. Integrate epidemiology into population-based practice.
6. Implement the role of the public health nurse in a variety of settings.

Program Content

A minimum of 62.00 semester credit hours is required for graduation.