The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69063

Sharon L. Dudley-Brown, PhD, RN, FNP¹, Sr. Rosemary Donley, PhD, RN, C-ANP², and Eileen Sarsfield, MSN, APRN, BC². (1) School of Nursing, Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20064, 202-319-6531, dudleybrown@cua.edu, (2) School of Nursing, The Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave. NE, Gowan Hall, Cardinal Station, Washington, DC 20064

Trends in Nursing Education: Development of a Blended Role (CNS/FNP) Program

The health indicators of US residents indicate the need to improve access and reduce disparity in health care outcomes. In response to this and other trends in health care, faculty at CUA SON developed a blended role program to produce culturally competent Family Nurse Practitioner/Community/Public Health Nurse Specialists (FNP/CPHNS) in a blended role curriculum. The project, titled “Promoting Healthy Families in Vulnerable Communities”, funded by DHHS, Division of Nursing (2002-2005), aims to educate nurses to practice as FNP/CPHNS with underserved families and to assure access to primary care and improve health outcomes for DC residents. Guided by a theoretical framework of Williams & Valdivieso (1994), and supported by recent health care trends, the program prepares graduates who will be flexible, community-oriented APNs with the capacity for prescriptive authority and third-party reimbursement. This presentation will explore the philosophy behind blended role programs, and will describe the health care trends that have supported the development of this particular program. Relevance to the future of public health nursing education will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

After attending this session, the participant will be able to:
• Report on the health care trends that suport the developemnt of a new blended role program in community/public health nursing.
• Describe the philosophy and framework used in the developmnt and implementation of a specific blended role program in community/public health nursing.

Keywords: Public Health Nursing, Nursing Education

Related Web page: nursing.cua.edu/graduate/msn/cvp/families/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.