Can an APHN-BC earn a DNP? Trying to figure out what to do with my life

TGRNMSN · Aug 28, 2011

Good question...there are many things you can do with apnn-bc, as long as you go the route of advanced practice as well. To remain in public health is possible if you think outside the box. Some routes are program coordinators, staff development in community health organizations, departments of health and academia. There were several of my peers who continued on into the DNP programs while the some of us started DrPH or PhD's.The possibilities are enormous. There are programs for advance practice nursing that allows your focus to remain in public health with the nursing perspective. Research the Community/Public Health Nurse Speacialist tracks found in some of the larger universities. It is an MSN which incorporates, health policy, epidimiology, ethics, health statistics as well as education and program development. Some instances you will find it in collaboration with Schools of Public Health. Once you begin to do a little reserach you will see that it may be a better route than the crowded NP programs. Good luck.

bmeza · Sep 16, 2011

I am looking into exactly the same thing. Did you decide on this? Thanks for any info you could pass along. Bobbie

tmjRN · Feb 28, 2012

Hi Bobbie. I decided to pursue an MPH. I'm in my second semester now and I really like my program. I'm looking to forward to graduating and working.

Jess793B · Mar 5, 2012

I decided to pursue an MPH. I'm in my second semester now and I really like my program.

What school are you attending for the MPH?

tmjRN · Mar 6, 2012

I'm doing the MPH at Columbia. I was going to do the dual degree with FNP program at the nursing school but decided not to. I think it will work out in the end.

Jess793B · Mar 6, 2012

I'm doing the MPH at Columbia. I was going to do the dual degree with FNP program at the nursing school but decided not to.

How do you like the MPH program? How is it similar (or different) from your nursing courses?

tmjRN · Apr 20, 2012

it's a different way of thinking. as clinicians, we think of interventions that affect one person. so you have to think at a population level, and sometimes what you would do as a first line intervention for an individual would not work as a mass intervention for a population. being able to think like that has been an adjustment for me. nursing coursework is a lot physiology/science.

my program is in population and family health. my courses are in program planning, management, and substantive courses in maternal/child health. some of these substantive courses you don't learn to much from with a nursing background, however they challenge you think at a population level. i try to focus my electives around skills courses like demography and quantitative data analysis where you learn the statistical software.

if want to study epi or biostats you will do more coursework in statistics, quantitative data analysis, and research methods. if i could do it all over again i would probably do epidemiology. there seem to more career options and you can take the electives in program planning and qualitative data analysis if you want to.

i originally wanted to be a program manager when i started my degree. i am still interested in that, but from what i understand it's really competitive, so epi would give me more options after i graduate. from what i understand some epi people do go into management later on in their careers.