Public Health Nursing
- 1st Annual Public Health Nursing Conference "Addressing Health Disparities"
- 2nd Annual Public Health Nursing Conference "Public Health Nursing with Disadvantaged Populations"
- 3rd Annual PHN Conference
- Continuing Education Credits
- Student Interviews (Video)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Interest Form for Prospective Students
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Public Health Nursing
The Doctor of Nursing Practice in the Public Health Nursing (PHN) Option is focused on health of populations. The "patients" in PHN are not individuals, but represent groups in a population-defined area, that may be located in rural or urban communities, in towns and cities, states or nations; they may be aggregates within communities, special groups within populations or populations with issues that affect health in the entire global community. We build on the established public health foundations and intertwine a nursing perspective to meet the vision and mission in the UTHSC College of Nursing. The education in PHN prepares leaders to be knowledgeable about: 1) major health issues in populations; 2) various public health approaches to reduce injury and improve health; and 3) key strategies to maintain and improve population health and safety at all levels.
Registered Nurses who have a graduate degree in nursing or public health can apply for admission. Those without graduate degrees will be asked to complete the graduate degree at this time. Preparation for the practice doctorate in PHN is rigorous and includes equal amounts of course and clinical work. Of the 4 terms in the program, 1.5 years is spent in the practice area. The first term (July-December) is strictly didactic coursework with a full load of credit hours. The PHN Directed Study is reserved for students needing additional cognates before entering the PHN program of study. In addition to the didactic courses listed in the curriculum, the next 2 terms (January-June and July-December) for the public health nursing option student will introduce didactic material and include clinical contact hours each week. The final term (January-May) requires 24 clinical contact hours each week and earned credit for your DNP project. The formula is 3-4 to 1 – meaning for every hour of credit, you are expected to invest 3 hours of study and preparation time (12-16 hours = a minimum of 36-40 hours of study and preparation each week). In addition, our program is based on 20 week terms in a year-round curriculum that includes summers. Online education is very time consuming and requires effort almost every day of every week during the term. It should be obvious from this description that this is definitely a full-time program.
As we stated before, students are taught leadership in the PHN Option and are encouraged to develop a clinical expertise in population-focused practice where students work with aggregate populations in their own community. In addition, the student is encouraged to seek experiences that impact national or global population focused health issues. Upon enrollment, the student is encouraged to begin to explore topic areas of interest in the broader population focused care. By the second term and with guidance from the faculty advisor, the focus of study will be narrowed and clinical experiences will then begin to address the student’s identified major public health nursing interest. By the third and fourth terms, the student will focus on their chosen area of interest and will be working toward completion of their project, fully realizing the local, regional, national and global impact of their work with populations, and ready to step into leadership positions.
Contact Information:
Patricia M. Speck, DNSc, FNP-BC, SANE-A, SANE-P, DF-IAFN, FAAFS, FAAN
- Assistant Professor
- DNP Public Health Nursing Option Coordinator
email: pspeck@utmem.edu
phone: 1-800-733-2498 and ask for Dr. Speck or 901-448-6098 (local)
Quick Links
The UTHSC College of Nursing is a member of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Electronic Campus for distance education courses, programs and services offered through many institutions of higher education in the southeastern United States.
Future Student
Contact Information
Program Inquiries
901-448-6125
Justin Casey
Student Affairs – Coordinator
jcasey4@utmem.edu
Janet Wood
Student Affairs - Coordinator
jwood26@utmem.edu
Roylynn Germain
Student Affairs – Administrative Assistant
rgermain@utmem.edu
Admission Contacts
UTHSC Admissions Office
P: 901-448-5560
http://www.utmem.
edu/
admiss
UTHSC Financial Aid Office
P: 901-448-5568
F: 901-448-1570
Student Fee Information
Online Catalog
http://www.utmem.edu
/admiss/catalog.php
