ACNU-414: Community & Public Health Nursing

This course prepares students to apply previously acquired nursing knowledge to the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations within public and community health settings. Public health nursing is examined as an integration of health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and population-based interventions. Epidemiology and population health data are introduced as unifying frameworks for understanding community health needs and guiding evidence-based public health programs and services across the continuum of public health practice. Students develop beginning skills in community assessment and use data to inform planning, implementation, and evaluation of interventions. Collaborative care models involving interprofessional partners and public health agencies are examined as strategies to support disease prevention, health promotion, and health protection across population health settings. The impact of social, economic, and environmental determinants on the health of individuals, families, and populations is examined. Themes of social justice, health equity, and care for vulnerable and marginalized populations are integrated throughout the course. Students also develop nurse leadership competencies and examine the role of the nurse as an advocate in health policy and systems-level change to improve population health outcomes.