Setting a new course for advanced practice community/public health nursing

In recent years the changes in the organization and delivery of health care have created an environment that places great demands on nursing education at all levels. Determining a sound, responsive course of study in advanced practice community/public health nursing (C/PHN) is dependent on clear educational outcomes and competencies. Outcomes and competencies for C/PHN practice need to continue to be derived from the rich knowledge, experience, and research tradition with populations living in the community. However, in today's health care environment, these outcomes and competencies also must be integrated within the context of a very different health care system perspective. This article describes the outcomes and competency indicators developed to guide a curriculum designed to integrate traditional C/PHN and a health systems perspective for students seeking advanced practice education in C/PHN at the College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center.