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Masters Specialty Area
| FYI/Facts: Advanced Community Health and International Nursing (ACHIN) Specialty | |
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Advanced Community Health and International Nursing (ACHIN) is an important growth area. Advanced practice nurses in this specialty understand the complex interactions between health and the social determinants of health to maintain or improve globally the health of diverse, vulnerable, and underserved populations and communities.
They take leadership roles in positions that include population-level care, public health preparedness, health education, program development, consultation, research, administration, and public policy. They work in public health departments, schools, faith-based programs, and a variety of for-profit and non-profit public and private agencies in local, state, national, and international settings.
| Quick-Links: Advcd. Community Health and Intl. Nrsg. | ||||||||||||
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Graduates | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
| "My masters education provided me with a solid framework for examining community health problems and designing appropriate interventions to solve them . . . .
Being at UCSF in the CCCH [ACHIN] program gave me a community of people who shared my same intellectual interests, yet carried different perspectives." D'Arcy Richardson, RN, PHN, MS, CNS TB Outbreak Response Officer/Nurse Epidemiologist California Department of Health Services |
The Advanced Community Health and International Nursing specialty emphasizes program planning and the design of preventive strategies to maintain or improve the health of vulnerable populations and diverse communities.
Coursework emphasizes:
Students can gain experience at a number of for-profit and non-profit community health agencies and organizations. There are also many opportunities to work with faculty in the School of Nursing and on campus as a research or teaching assistant.
Students in this specialty may select an HIV/AIDS focus as part of their specialization in the Master of Science Program. More specific details on HIV/AIDS-related curriculum/coursework are available at the HIV/AIDS Minor/Focus page (see following link):
The UCSF International Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Clinical Training in Nursing is an important resource for this specialty. The Center is an inter-departmental and multi-disciplinary effort, commited to research, education, and care of persons with HIV.
| "The program provided me with valuable skills (such as community assessment,
program planning, management, evaluation, research and policy) and enabled me to cater my educational experience to my individual interests . . . .
What I learned . . . will be valuable . . . throughout my career in community health." Lizelle Lirio, RN, PHN, MS San Mateo County Division of Public Health |
| Quick-Links: Advcd. Community Health and Intl. Nrsg. | ||||||||||||
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Graduates | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
Professor Mary White, RN, MPH, PhD, FAAN directs the Community Health / International Nursing Program. She is principal investigator of S.H.I.P., Studies on the Health of Incarcerated Populations, a program to improve the health and health outcomes of the incarcerated and to improve the systems serving them.
Focusing on infectious diseases, primarily tuberculosis and HIV, she has conducted randomized trials to improve the continuity of care in a group that comprises one of the most vulnerable populations at risk of poor health outcomes.
Working with a multidisciplinary team, she has directed or co-directed a number of NIH-funded studies, participated on Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) committees to review and revise guidelines for correctional health settings, and is an internationally recognized expert in the study of correctional health. Her published study results appear in medical, epidemiology and public health journals.
"The incarcerated are persons who have considerably higher prevalence of risk factors for a number of conditions; correctional facilities are ideal settings for interventions to improve the health status and the future of individuals, both in the system and after they are released.
"The incarcerated return to their families and to our communities - and much work is needed to bridge gaps between the 'inside' and the broader community. I welcome students who are interested in working in this challenging but rewarding area of practice and research."
Catherine Waters, RN, PhD, FAHA, is an Associate Professor and was the previous director of the Advanced Community Health and International Nursing program.
Dr. Waters teaches courses related to program planning, advanced practice in community health, and behavior theories.
Within the frameworks of culture, socioecology, community-based participatory research, and the principles of diplomacy and democracy, Dr. Waters' research program focuses on individual and community lifestyle behaviors to promote health and prevent illness via physical activity and nutrition in ethnic minority populations and communities with a focus on African Americans, taking into account individual and public/private community partnerships and resources.
"The Advanced Community Health and International Nursing program emphasizes the advancement of science and the transformation of communities by defying conventional thinking to meet the health care needs of all people where they are-within their sociocultural context."
Carmen J. Portillo, RN, PhD, FAAN, teaches courses related to community interventions with an emphasis on proposal development, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and theory development.
Her research focuses on HIV/AIDS adherence strategies, quality of life, Hispanic health issues as they affect women, and acculturation effects on health outcomes.
Dr. Portillo is currently the Co-Director of the International HIV/AIDS Nursing Research Network and Coordinator of the HIV/AIDS Minor for the School of Nursing.
She collaborates on various research studies and training programs focused on symptom management and adherence in HIV/AIDS, international capacity development and training for nurses in HIV/AIDS, and nursing research on HIV/AIDS health disparities.
"Understanding the way cultural beliefs influence health and health care is an essential piece of improving the systems that try to meet the needs of vulnerable populations.
"Our students come to us dedicated to making those improvements happen."
William L. Holzemer, RN, PhD, FAAN, is an internationally recognized expert in academic nursing and HIV/AIDS care, providing global leadership to the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Council of Nurses, and many universities around the world.
He has served as consultant and external reviewer for national and international academic nursing programs.
His research focuses upon self-care, family care, and nursing care for people living with and affected by the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, specifically in the areas of symptom assessment and management, medication adherence, stigma, and quality of life. The goal of this work is to improve the quality of HIV/AIDS care.
Dr. Holzemer is a member of the Institute of Medicine, a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a member of the Japan Academy of Nursing, a former Fulbright Scholar (Egypt) and Project HOPE Fellow (Mexico-USA Border).
At the UCSF School of Nursing he is Associate Dean for International Programs, and he serves as Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Research & Clinical Training in Nursing.
| Quick-Links: Advcd. Community Health and Intl. Nrsg. | ||||||||||||
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Graduates | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
D'Arcy Richardson, RN, PHN, MS, CNS - (Class of 1998)
"After I received my bachelor's in environmental studies and spent ten years working in the field, I wanted to do something to help people improve their daily lives in a more substantive way. I had spent time abroad in Asia, particularly India and Tibet, and knew I wanted to work internationally and focus on health.
"I thought to myself, what profession would give me the best of both worlds - to be able to have direct patient interaction and yet work on public health issues, nationally and internationally?
"The answer was nursing.
"I applied to the MEPN program with an emphasis in Community Cross-Cultural Health. My masters education provided me with a solid framework for examining community health problems and designing appropriate interventions to solve them.
"It gave me the skill set to work in tuberculosis (TB) control at the Department of Health Services for the State of California, and on TB issues from both public health and individual patient perspectives.
"Being at UCSF in the CCCH [ACHIN] program gave me a community of people who shared my same intellectual interests, yet carried different perspectives. The diversity of people and the diversity of thinking from my peers and faculty were very important to me.
"The faculty provided me with the support and challenge I needed to design my own learning and meet my specific personal goals for the program."
Lizelle Lirio, RN, PHN, MS - (Class of 2004)
"The CCCH [ACHIN] program was a rewarding and valuable learning experience. The faculty is an amazing group of professors, who inspired me with their experiences and achievements; they also were always available to provide support and encouragement.
"I also developed valuable relationships with my peers. The students formed a tight-knit community, supportive of each other's professional goals. We are part of each other's professional network and have become lifetime friends.
"Equally important, the program provided me with valuable skills (such as community assessment, program planning, management, evaluation, research and policy) and enabled me to cater my educational experience to my individual interests.
"I had always been interested in adolescent pregnancy and maternal child health, and immediately after graduation I got a job working with adolescent mothers and their families at San Mateo County's Division of Public Health.
"What I learned in the program will be valuable both in this job and throughout my career in community health."
| Quick-Links: Advcd. Community Health and Intl. Nrsg. | ||||||||||||
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Graduates | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
Curriculum information is available from the following web page.
Q: What can I do to make my application competitive?
A: Each applicant is reviewed as a whole. Goal statement, letters of reference, extracurricular activities, language skills, activities on-the-job, research activities, work experience, professional organization activities, and GPA are ALL considered when the application is reviewed. List all of these aspects. Be sure to ask colleagues to review your goal statement. Include examples of on-the job activities. Describe any volunteer and professional activities. Make sure to ask your colleagues for "excellent" references and have them give specific reasons why they believe in your success. Take time to meet faculty in the program.
Q: What does my GPA need to be for admission into the program?
A: A Grade Point Average of 3.0 is expected for admission into the School of Nursing although special circumstances can be discussed.
Q: What should I write in my goal statement?
A: Your goal statement should have 3 elements: what you have been doing as a nurse and for how long, why you want to study in the ACHIN specialty, and your future goals.
Q: What if I have been working as an acute care nurse and have no experience in the community?
A: Some of the students have had only inpatient experience and no community experience. The key here is why you have made the decision to change areas of practice from inpatient to community. While they often complement each other, and helpful to have had acute care experience, although not necessary, practicing as a clinical nurse specialist in the community is a very different experience that relies more on your independent judgment and ability to problem solve.
Q: How much can I work during the program?
A: Students can work, but full-time work is very burdensome. Students find the most flexibility and best learning opportunities when they have per diem (part-time) positions.
Q: Why would I choose a M.S. in nursing instead of masters in public health?
A: The focus of the ACHIN specialty is to learn macro-level skills in managing aggregates of clients, communities, environments and health systems within a clinical nursing context. The focus of a graduate program in public health is on prevention, education and policy to improve the public's health, but not within a nursing context.
Q: What kind of positions will I be prepared to work in?
A: The field is wide open with very diverse career opportunities. The ACHIN specialty prepares you for a career in health education, program development, clinical expertise, consultation, research, public policy, leadership and administration. Graduates of our program work in settings that include health departments, schools and universities, parishes and faith-based programs, home care, refugee/immigrant clinics, jails and prisons, private agencies and non-profit organizations, domestically and internationally, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Services, World Health Organization, and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
Q: In what field does the ACHIN specialty qualify me to be titled as a Clinical Nurse Specialist?
A: Community health nursing.
Q: Am I responsible for finding my own preceptors?
A: Faculty will work with you to find the preceptors who are best suited for you and level of community exposure. Our experience is that students often provide input in selecting and planning their clinical experiences and participate in this process of selecting preceptors.
Q: What if I want to study part-time?
A: The option of studying part-time in the program is available. This program can be accomplished on a part-time basis over three years.
Q: How do I find housing in the area? Is it expensive?
A: Many of our students find that sharing housing is a good approach to solving both the availability and cost issues. Housing in the Bay Area may be expensive, but help can be found with the campus Housing Office, the Student Affairs Office, and previous graduates can often give advice.
Q: What will help me prepare for school?
A: Rest and relaxation before school starts is helpful! Also proficiency with word processing is very essential.
Q: What's a typical class schedule? How many days will I be on campus?
A: We attempt to schedule classes for two days/week, usually Wednesday and Thursday. In some quarters, there may be an exception. You will schedule your own clinical time. You may want to study on campus or reserve time for library research or other on-campus needs.
Q: I live several hours away. How can I manage the load with a long commute?
A: Some students who commute long distances arrange to spend Wednesday night with a classmate or a local motel room, using the evening for their library work or studying.
| Quick-Links: Advcd. Community Health and Intl. Nrsg. | ||||||||||||
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Graduates | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
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| Revised: Apr. 2008 | Contact: info@nursing.ucsf.edu · © Copyright 2008 University of California Regents, All Rights Reserved. | |||||||||||||
