Graduate education for advanced practice public health nursing: at the crossroads

The complexity of public health problems and advancement of science framing public health demand an expansion of traditional educational approaches and curriculum to prepare a futuristic advanced practice public health nursing (APPHN) workforce. This position paper sponsored by the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators challenges nurse educators to apply innovative strategies in preparing public health nursing (PHN) professionals and to expand curriculum paradigms to promote PHN's ecological approach to solving problems. To meet the challenges of ensuring public health in the 21st century, advanced practice public health nurses must have greater foundational knowledge in critical content areas discussed in this document. Competence in these areas will enable advanced practice public health nurses to address future health care challenges such as rapidly changing social structures, escalating knowledge explosion, globalization, and growth of new technologies. This education will prepare nurses to forge new knowledge and establish health care teams to create effective solutions.