The first cohort of nursing students from OCU University begin classes on August 21, 2023. The specialization is the newest offering for online students and is designed to allow students to explore non-traditional nursing careers focused on improving the health and resiliency of their communities and beyond.
鈥淲e are the only school in the state that provides a nursing degree specialization in community-based public health,鈥� explains Interim Nursing Dean, Gina Crawford, DNP, APRN-CNP, FNP, CNE, 鈥淭here are master鈥檚 of public health degrees out there, but we chose to explore and create this specialization to support the educational needs specific to nurses who work in the community and in public health settings.鈥�
Launched in the spring of 2023, the CBPH specialization will prepare nursing students to identify high-risk groups, and, in partnership with communities, consumers, and stakeholders, develop culturally sensitive, evidence-based, and population appropriate nursing interventions.
鈥淣ursing provides the opportunity for diverse career opportunities鈥揳nd health care needs a more diversified nursing workforce,鈥� Crawford explains. 鈥淥ne of the priority goals of is specifically related to addressing and improving the social determinants of health. Nurses who are educationally prepared to address the social determinants of health and health disparities in communities can make a major impact on health, well-being, and quality of life.鈥�
Students completing the CBPH specialization could graduate and go on to work to further health equity and public health in research, policy analysis, epidemiology, global or environmental health, community health, school nursing, and more. 鈥淲e obtained feedback and input from local nursing leaders and executives who work in the community and public health sector to create a curriculum that is uniquely designed to provide nurses with the knowledge to become leaders in the space,鈥� says Crawford.
The CBPH curriculum includes courses on the foundations of community-based public health, health promotion and risk reduction, epidemiology and data management, health care ethics, law and policy, contemporary health care organizations and health care economics and financial management. In addition to their specialization courses, which make up the majority of the required credits (21 credit hours), MSN students complete 12 credit hours of courses covering master鈥檚-level competencies, skills, and knowledge required in any specialized field of nursing study including a practicum and scholarly project.
The specific naming of the specialization, Community-Based Public Health, emphasizes the Kramer School of Nursing belief that the community plays a central role in public health and that interventions and programming are best performed when they are rooted in the values and interests of the community itself. While 羞羞视频鈥檚 online programs are available to nursing students across the nation, the Oklahoma-based faculty were key to developing a culturally competent program given their extensive experience working in health departments, Rural Health Centers and tribal clinics across the state.
All of Kramer鈥檚 online nursing courses are delivered via an intuitive and dynamic learning management system and students are never required to visit campus. This flexible format makes 羞羞视频鈥檚 nursing master鈥檚 an ideal choice for nurses who are interested in continuing their academic and professional journeys without taking time off from their careers or personal lives. The other specialization options available to online MSN students, and , continue to welcome students each term who prepare to take on roles guiding the next generation of nurses whether in the classroom, at the bedside, or in other health care settings.
If you鈥檙e interested in learning more about the Kramer School of Nursing鈥檚 online nursing programs, visit or to speak with an admissions outreach advisor.
