APHN; is it worth it?

Specialties Public/Community

Published

I am considering applying to an APHN program but would like to know the usefulness of the degree. I know I can manage and supervise at my LHD, and I can teach (indeed the best job for me would be as a health educator), but what else? It's not an MPH so I wouldn't really do epidemiology. What else? My employer has a generous tuition reimbursement program that would pay for about a quarter of it since it would be an area of study that would make me more.valuable to them, but if it's just a way to get into management, I may just go gero-DNP and be done with it.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

What is an APHN? Is this a Master's degree? What is LHD?

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Advanced Public Health Nurse. It's an emphasis or major for an MSN offered in some schools. LHD is Local Health Department.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Well I had never heard of this in my 39 years which includes teaching for ten years at a local university that has MSN & PhD/DNP programs & one concern is that this may be geographically limited. I would urge you consider ROI (return on investment) and consider what happens if you move to another state. When you say hero-DNP do you mean Acute Gero Adult Nurse Practitioner? Not all DNPs are for Nurse Practitioner so need clarification. Another example of limited MSN is the CNL, clinical nurse leader, which is geographically limited, no programs exist in my state for this nor in Texas schools nearby. Also do not see CNL in local hospitals. CNS (clinical nurse specialists) are not recognized in many states as Advance Practice Nurses, they are considered RNs with Master's degree.

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APHN-BC is a credential through the American Nurses' Credentialing Center awarded via portfolio review. There is no longer an exam for it, although there used to be. The specific requirements for this credential are here: Advanced Public Health Nursing Certification through Portfolio

Eligibility Criteria You do need to have a master's degree in order to obtain the credential, but it doesn't need to be specifically an MSN with a focus on public health nursing. A nurse with an MPH who meets the other criteria could also apply. I work in public health, and I have not met many nurses with the APHN-BC credential. I can think of one or two off the top of my head, and neither of them works with patients. One is in management at a local health department and the other represents public health nursing as a discipline in a nurses' advocacy group.

I've thought about applying for the APHN-BC credential myself when I finish my MPH program since I'm getting the MPH whether or not I also shoot for this credential, but I don't know that it would be worth it. There's no extra pay where I work for such a credential, although maybe it would come in handy if I was looking for a new position in some other geographic region later.

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Thank you, Siwan.

Where I currently work, an MSN is required for management. I am not entirely sure I want to get into LHD nursing management. I harbor fantasies about creating a niche for myself; writing grants for community health education programs, which I then teach, and living happily ever after.

Or, I can teach nursing to BSN students (urgh).

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