Students have an opportunity to focus their practice in a public health setting or a community agency that provides services to a specific population group. Advanced practice roles in public health include the following roles:

• Administrator
• Evaluator
• Consultant
• Researcher
• Case Manager
• Program Planner
• Home health clinician

Leadership, strategic planning, and a vision for community building in rural, underserved, and culturally diverse communities are the characteristics of advanced nursing practice in this track.

Online Curriculum: Now that this program is fully online, it is ideal for nurses in remote areas and for those who are bound by work and family obligations. The interactive online classroom provides opportunities for discussion, multidisciplinary debate and problem solving, research, and community building.

Financial Aid is available. Admission applications can be processed quickly and consideration given to the individual's specific goals. Information about traineeships can be found at the College of Nursing web page or call 251-445-9410.

The University of South Alabama College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The University of South Alabama is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It meets the educational requirements for certification in public health and community nurses.
Core courses in leadership, theoretical foundations of advanced nursing, economics and health policy, and research serve as the underpinnings to prepare the student in advanced practice nursing. The track's specialty courses are epidemiology, biostatistics, and administrative theory pertaining to planning, organizing, and facilitating human performance. A course in disaster management provides the student with an opportunity to develop knowledge and skill required to effectively apply techniques and interventions during disasters including disasters resulting from bioterrorism.

The last two semesters in the track focus on specific theory and concepts related to assessment of health needs and concerns of population groups and communities. Students focus their projects on the planning, financing, development, and evaluation of interventions that support health care providers and communities in their efforts to prevent disease and make health care accessible. The student completes a clinical practicum of 180 hours and a culminating internship of 240 hours. The practicum and internship are implemented through a preceptorship with a master's prepared professional nurse. During the practicum, the student designs a model for professional development as a public health nurse administrator as well as a plan for assessing the specific needs of a population in a health care setting. The data obtained in the practicum direct the student’s development of an intervention plan.

Public Health Nursing Administrator Curriculum

• Public Health Administrator Post BSN Track (MSN)
        •Full-time schedule of study - Fall Admission
        •Part-time schedule of study - Fall Admission
        •Full-time schedule of study - Spring Admission
        •Full-time schedule of study - Summer Admission  
• Public Health Administrator Accelerated MSN Track
• Public Health Administrator RN to MSN for Associate/diploma RN’s
• Public Health Administrator RN to MSN for associate/diploma RN’s with a BS/BA degree in a non-nursing discipline
• Public Health Administrator Post Master’s Certificate

For Additional Information

For additional information and transcript evaluation write to:

Office of Student Services
USA College of Nursing - HAHN 3082
307 University Blvd N
Mobile AL 36688-0002
(251) 424-3410
Email: congrad@usouthal.edu
Fax 251-445-9416
For information regarding admission to the university contact:

Office of Admissions
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 36688-0002
251-460-6141
1-800-872-5247
Email: admiss@usouthal.edu

The college is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing
and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520
Washington, D.C. 20036-1120
Telephone 202-887-6791