Goals & Competencies

Health Policy & Public Health Specialty Objectives

  • Analyze the history, structure, and process of health policy making in the United States;
  • Assess the policy and ethical dimensions of issues in the clinical practice, teaching, and research environments translate nursing practice issues into policy and public health issues;
  • Identify, critically analyze, and evaluate laws, regulations, and policies at the institutional, local, state, and national levels that impact patients and the practice of nursing;
  • Conduct health services research and policy and economic analyses;
  • Participate in policy, public health and ethical debates and utilize criteria and processes by which policies are developed, implemented, evaluated, changed, and maintained;
  • Participate in the policy-making process, including core knowledge in health services research, policy theory and analysis, economics, ethics, medical sociology, health organizations and professions, and labor issues.

 Graduate Competencies

  • Demonstrate the ability to teach peers and clients about the purpose of health policy and public health;
  • Discuss issues of access to health services and the economic costs of health programs;
  • Interact with cultural relevance and sensitivity in health policy and public health arenas and promote strategies to support patients and their families in having access to appropriate high-quality health care;
  • Provide educational programs in health policy and public health for nursing, medical or allied health staff or the public;
  • Demonstrate skills in policy communication and leadership;
  • Participate in policy-making discussions relevant to health care;
  • Identify and use policy and public health resources appropriately;
  • Discuss the ethical, political and policy issues emerging from the delivery of relevant health care;
  • Explain the importance of distributive justice in access to health care;
  • Discuss strategies for maintaining lifelong learning to remain current and competent in the delivery of health policy and public health nursing care.