Teaching nurses to focus on the health needs of populations: a Master's Degree Program in Population Health Nursing.

Responding to the mandate to prepare nurses for practice in population-based healthcare, the faculty at Cleveland State University (CSU) developed a unique Master of Science in Nursing program to prepare Population Health Nurse Experts. The program prepares nurses to examine the health status of populations and to design, implement, and evaluate nursing interventions accounting for the varied factors impacting on the health of a defined group. The speciality of population health nursing is practiced by nurses who can use population sciences (epidemiology, demography, population projections, and population behavioral theories) along with post-baccalaureate nursing competencies to work with defined populations across care environments. The authors discuss a curriculum that prepares nurses for this emerging speciality.

Stressors and supports for baccalaureate nursing students completing an accelerated program.

This study examined stressors and resources for nursing students in an accelerated program. The research questions asked what the stressors and coping strategies are for accelerated option students. It also asked which learning strategies help or hinder accelerated option students in meeting the program objectives. The sample included students from an accelerated nursing program in an urban Midwestern university school of nursing. Participants completed a quantitative questionnaire and an interview. Findings suggested that nearly half of the students preferred the lecture format for classroom presentations. Clinical experiences were perceived as the most important component of the program. Resources included peers, family, and faculty. In understanding the stressors experienced by accelerated option students and the preferred learning strategies, the institution of nursing education may assist faculty to facilitate learning. This study forms the foundation for a second study exploring the differences in perceptions of accelerated students and the nursing faculty.