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Frequently Asked Questions
About Principles of Public Health Nursing: Population-Based Practice

Deadline for applications for the student course is January 16, 2004

What is this course?
Principles of Public Health Nursing: Population-Based Practice is a course focusing on population-based concepts and application to practice. It may be taken for either four (4) credit-hours or 78 contact hours (CEUs). For those without a baccalaureate degree, the four credit-hour course is equivalent to the baccalaureate course, Nursing in Communities, a requirement in the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing RN-BSN Option. It has a didactic component (three credit-hours of classroom instruction) and one credit-hour of practicum experience (on site in your local agency). It is a web-based course, meaning that it is offered over the Internet, with assignments being done from your home or work, and submitted on-line. A unique feature about this course is the pairing of you, the student, with a mentor who has experience with population-based public health nursing practice.

What major topics will be covered?
· History and conceptual base of public health nursing
· Expanding public health nurse role
· Core functions and essential services of public health
· Health promotion and disease prevention
· Population-based interventions and systems-based practice
· Community assessment and coalition building
· Data use and evaluation, and evidence-based practice
· Policy and political action
· Communication, relationships, and leadership principles
· Computer and writing skills

What types of assignments can I expect?
Lessons are completed on-line. Each lesson has a reading list and specific assignments that address both didactic learning and practicum experiences. Assignments are web-based; in other words, responses to discussion questions for individual lessons will be posted to a class discussion board. There are no exams. All assignments may be completed in your local agency and selected based on your agency's needs. Assignments incorporate the core public health functions and the ten essential public health services.

How many hours per week should I expect to study and spend in practicum time?
The course requires approximately ten hours per week for 12 weeks of instruction. The practicum component can be completed during your working hours and requires the approval and support of your supervisor. The student will keep a log of practicum hours with the expectation that the student will complete 90 total hours. Requirements for nursing contact hours are the same as for academic credit.

How is this course different from other community health/public health nursing courses taught in other schools and BSN programs?
The content may be similar to other community health nursing courses. However, the practicum emphasizes concepts of public health nurse role and population-based practice. The practicum component can be completed at the student's local agency and/or in the local community or regional area.

Can you describe in detail the web-based format and how I can be assured that I can manage it?
The University uses WebCT, a proprietary web-based program for distance learning. All assignments are completed via the Internet. To prepare you for the distance-learning experience, lessons are incorporated in the course. Content includes WebCT, web-based resources at MU that you will use during the course, on-line library searches, and writing requirements at MU. All students enrolled in the Principles of Public Health Nursing will have access to technical support for WebCT, the Online Writery, MU Health Sciences Library staff support, as well as resources available to other MU students. Internet access and a personal email account are required. Technical skills and computer proficiency are desired for the following activities: emailing, creating and attaching Word documents to emails, using the Internet, posting to web-based discussion boards. (Training arranged upon request) You can expect to spend one hour a day completing lesson assignments and posting your responses to the class message board.

What is the role of the mentor in my practicum experience?
The mentor is a Missouri public health nurse who practices the principles of population-based nursing. Your mentor will be one of your resources for learning, and help you with your assignments. Your mentor will not evaluate you, but rather be a resource and support to you as you learn. Your course instructor from the School of Nursing will evaluate your work and assign the grade - not your mentor.

Who should enroll in this course?
Nurses practicing at public health settings in Missouri like local public health agencies, Department of State and Senior Services, and school health, who are interested in learning more about population-based public health nursing practice would benefit from this course. The specific intent of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) project is to offer a course for associate degree and diploma nurses that fulfills the baccalaureate course, Nursing in Communities, a requirement in the MU RN-BSN Option. This course may also satisfy the public health/community health requirement in other completion programs. Registered nurses may also enroll in the course for nursing contact hours.

Tell me about the credit option.
Students enrolling in the credit option will receive four hours of University of Missouri credit or potentially transferable credit to another institution toward an RN-BSN completion sequence. Students are required to pay standard course and instructional computing fees.

Tell me about the continuing education option.
Seventy-eight (78) contact hours will be granted through the University of Missouri-Columbia Sinclair School of Nursing. Students will be enrolled as "hearers," and academic records will be on file at MU. Fees for the CE option are the same as the credit option. It is important to realize that if this course is taken for CE, the work and time spent cannot be converted later into academic credit. If you are undecided about taking the course for credit or CE, strongly consider the credit option so that you gain the greatest benefit from your financial and academic investment.

What is the advantage to taking this course even if I don't plan to enroll in a BSN completion program?
Population-based practice is the focus of public health services now and in the future. This course provides the knowledge and skills needed to respond to current issues and challenges in communities. Content includes current issues and trends in public health and public health nursing, models of practice, and standards of care.

Will this course meet the requirements for the Missouri Voluntary Local Agency Accreditation Process?
Yes, this course meets the mandatory minimum training requirement for public health nurses in the primary, advance, and comprehensive types of accreditation in Missouri's Voluntary Local Public Health Agency Accreditation Program.

When will this course be offered?
The web-based population-based public health nursing course will begin in February 2004, and will end after 12 weeks of on-line class work. This is the last course that will be offered as the grant funding expires in June 2004.

What is the cost of the course?
Undergraduate credit courses at the University of Missouri-Columbia cost $194.50 per credit hour. There may be additional miscellaneous expenses.

Are there any resources available to help with the cost of the program?
Community foundations or service organizations may be a resource to assist with funding. In addition to financial aid services available at MU, there are organizations that offer scholarships such as the Missouri Public Health Association and Missouri Nursing Association-District level. Core function contract funds to local agencies from the Department of Health and Senior Services could be used to assist with cost of the course.

Are there special requirements for me to enroll in this course?
All students who enroll in the course will need access to the Internet either at work or at home. Computer and Internet provider requirements for using the WebCT program are listed on the MU Direct (administrators of on-line courses/programs) web site:

http://www.mudirect.missouri.edu/tools/requirements.htm

How do I enroll in this course-now or in the future?
The forms are also available on-line at http://www.nursingfutures.org/hrsa/forms.html. Course enrollment information will then be sent to you.

What are the next steps if I am interested in the RN-BSN Option at MU?
To apply or request more information, contact Jerry Griffith, Academic Advisor, 877-MU-RN-BSN (877-687-6276) or e-mail RN-BSN@missouri.edu. Completion of the Principles of Public Health Nursing: Population-Based Practice does not assure admission to MU or the RN-BSN Option.

How would I find out about transferring credit for this course to another institution?
Contact the school where you plan to enroll and ask them to review the content and clinical component of this course. The school will determine if they will give transfer credit, and if this credit will transfer as a course in your major or as an elective. Be sure to keep your course syllabus, all your written work, and any other evidence of your accomplishments in this course.