Child health with role specialty in public health, or straight public health?

[Anonymous1369]

I will be starting an alternate entry masters program in May, the 1st year is prep for the NCLEX, then I begin my masters work. I have that 1st year to decide which masters I want to pursue, but I'm currently leaning towards a Child Health with Role Specialty in Public Health Nursing program, but they also offer a straight Public Health Nursing program.

My question is, what's the difference? obviously the child health one focuses on pediatrics, but I feel like if I'm going to focus on the public health arena, I might as well get a general public health nurse masters and not hamstring myself into only being qualified to work with programs that focus on childhood. I have a BS in childhood development, and I love working with kids. What do y'all think?

[MandaRN94]

Which school are you attending? I agree with you -go for the general public health.

[Anonymous1369]

MandaRN94,

It's The University of Texas at Austin's alternate entry masters program. I guess I should have mentioned it in the original, but the child health one has an option to apply to the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program upon completion of your masters, only takes a year to get the certificate since there is a great deal of overlap. The PNP isn't offered for alternate entry, only for ppl with a BSN who have a year of experience and people who have completed the AEMSN in child health. That's why I'm torn, because I have been researching the PHN MSN and it sounds like interesting and meaningful work that I could really get behind, but on the other hand I'm strongly driven towards advanced practice nursing and pediatrics.