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Application for graduate degree in public health nursing approaches
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Potential nurses at Boise State searching for higher learning now have options.
Beginning fall 2007, Boise State’s Department of Nursing will offer the only graduate nursing program in Idaho emphasizing population health. The application deadline for the graduate program is March 31.
Population health nurses focus on health promotion, disease prevention and health status of populations that share common characteristics.
The Department of Nursing will offer two degree options: a Master of Science Degree that requires a thesis, and a Master of Nursing Degree that requires a professional project.
Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of Nursing, Ingrid Brudenell said in order to keep the beginning numbers small, the nursing department will only allow 10 to 12 students into the graduate program.
Brudenell said public health nurses have been around since the late 1800s and this is the first graduate program BSU has offered.
“[Idaho State University] has been the flagship for these programs,” Brudenell said.
The Department of Nursing started planning the graduate program in 2003.
“We had to consider how our role is going to impact Idaho State. We couldn’t duplicate their core graduate curriculum,” Brudenell said.
Lori Werth, marketing advisor for the Department of Nursing said Boise State is working closely with Idaho State. She said the program is flexible enough to transfer credits statewide.
“This is sort of a hybrid program where [students] can still continue to have income. We could even have students from out of state,” Werth said.
Brudenell said something a public health nurse deals with would be the question of how the university might be affected if a pandemic flu hit BSU and 40 percent of students became ill.
Werth and Brudenell said nurses who graduate from this program have many potential employers. They mentioned school districts, the government, colleges, universities and insurance agencies.
“This is a unique and very personalized program,” Brudenell said. “We hope that our students will continue and get a doctorate.”
Werth said a new avenue of study is exciting for current nursing students because it leads to different ideas for a career.
“Graduates could also become teachers here [at BSU] and in the greater community,” Werth said.
Assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at BSU, Barbara Allerton said the new graduate program is just one resource and it could lead anywhere.
“I think the public might have a conception of nurses [as being only] in hospitals,” Allerton said. “Graduate studies lead you to other roles like taking care of funding.”
Allerton sees a great demand for new nurses who can provide a valuable service.
She believes the income is not commensurate with the amount of work expected from people in her field.
“The average age of people in these positions is 50. How do you attract new faculty when the pay is so low,” Allerton said.
“The day associates graduate they make the same amount of money I make.”
Allerton holds a Masters degree in Health Science.
Allerton looks forward to a graduate nursing program with full classes, both part-time and full-time with increasing numbers.
“We need to show our ability to deliver a good program,” Allerton said.
For more information about the graduate program students can check out the Nursing Department’s website at http://nursing.boisestate.edu.
BARRY FRANKLIN