Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice: Incorporating Population Health Into Advanced Practice Nursing

Background: Nurse practitioners are well positioned to promote health and improve health outcomes of individuals. Those who receive additional education in population health leadership are further prepared to lead efforts to improve population health outcomes. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to describe a 28-month, part-time post-Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) population health Doctor of Nursing Practice program designed for nurse practitioners and highlight project exemplars that demonstrate the integration of population health into advanced nursing practice. Methods: The program is thoroughly described, including alignment with the Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (CPHNO) competency domains. To demonstrate the application of population health competencies into advanced practice nursing, project summaries from 2012 to 2020 were reviewed. Results: The program review showed clear alignment between major assignments and CPHNO competency domains. Fifty-one project summaries were reviewed. Authors present select project exemplars that highlight various ways students incorporated population health into their projects. Conclusions: To lead efforts to promote population health across the care continuum, nurse practitioners must have advanced knowledge and skills to address factors that influence the health of the populations they serve. Implications for Nursing: Nurse educators must design, implement, and evaluate strategies to prepare nurse practitioners to integrate population health into practice.