The role of nursing professionals in the area of health policy continues to grow, as they offer an informed perspective based on their direct delivery of health care to diverse populations. They are confronted daily with health disparities that impact Hispanic, Native American and other underrepresented populations as they seek care from a health care system that is increasingly complex and costly for all Americans.

Making health systems work better for patients requires more than clinical skill, yet few nurses have the education or background to teach, research or implement health policy initiatives. Recognizing the need to increase the number of nurses who are educated specifically to develop and influence health policy, the University of New Mexico College of Nursing has established the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Doctor of Philosophy with a concentration in Health Policy.

For additional information about the RWJF Ph.D. in Nursing with a Concentration in Health Policy, explore our website or write us.

Program

Established in 2008 with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the UNM College of Nursing's RWJF PhD in Nursing with a Concentration in Health Policy program aims to prepare doctoral-level nurses to become leaders in health policy at the local, state and national levels through their research and advocacy. It particularly targets those from underserved populations in the Southwest, including individuals from Hispanic and Native American populations. As effective health policy must reflect the experiences, needs, and cultural context of the population groups the policy intends to serve.

The RWJF PhD in Nursing with a concentration in Health Policy program works in partnership with the RWJF Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico (Center). Students in the College of Nursing PhD program will participate in interdisciplinary activities with doctoral students from the social sciences disciplines at the Center.

Students who enter the program with master’s degrees in nursing will complete most of their coursework online with short summer session residency requirements and attendance at the Western Institute of Nursing each spring. They will be expected to earn their doctorates in three years. In addition to the required course work, students are expected to participate in seminars and other informal learning experiences and also to engage in research in their areas of interest working with faculty associated with the program.

Curriculum Plan

Financial Assistance

The program offers generous financial support for fulltime study to three doctoral students each year. The support provided includes tuition, health insurance, living expenses, resources for computers, books, and travel.

Eligibility Criteria

In addition to the requirements set forth by UNM, the College of Nursing specifies the following requirements for its doctoral program: an M.S.N. from an accredited nursing program; a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (preference is given to students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher); a graduate-level statistics course completed within three years is desirable although not required; computer literacy skills in word processing, e-mail communications, and Web searching; an interview; evidence of scholarly ability such as a scholarly paper; a one-page statement reflecting experience in the nursing discipline; a letter of intent addressing professional and personal goals; a resume; three letters of recommendation ; a valid R.N. license; and the ability to meet the health requirements.

A detailed listing of eligibility requirements can be found here.

UNM College of Nursing

The College of Nursing is a fully accredited component of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. For more than 50 years, the College of Nursing has been a vital resource for New Mexico, providing traditional nursing programs as well as thoughtfully designed programs to meet the needs of a diverse population and make nursing education available to all citizens of the state. For more information, visit the UNM College of Nursing.

RWJF Center

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico is the only health policy center dedicated to increasing the number of leaders from Latino and American Indian communities who will help shape the future of our nation’s health care and health policy. A collaboration between the University of New Mexico and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the RWJF Center for Health Policy focuses on inserting the perspectives of Latino, American Indian and other underrepresented groups into the most pressing health policy debates. Visit http://healthpolicy.unm.edu for further information.

As a fellow at the Center, you will be mentored by a large and growing network of scholars dedicated to applying your clinical expertise to the research activities found in social science to help solve real-world challenges.

Additional fellow benefits include:

• Development of professional and personal relationships with state, regional and national health and health policy leaders.
• Mentoring though scholarly research and policy analysis training.
• Academic and professional support.
• Opportunities to participate in career development and leadership workshops.

RWJF Foundation

For more than 35 years, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has been focused on improving the health and health care of all Americans. The Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change to the nation’s most pressing health and healthcare issues.

To create the best health care services for all Americans, the country needs a diverse group of leaders in Washington and in academic circles who represent the interests, cultures, and needs of this incredibly diverse nation. RWJF is committed to the development of the next generation of leaders that will shape and serve the health needs of a demographically and culturally changing America. These new leaders will bring their diversity of perspectives and collaborative approaches as they work to improve societal health issues. As a leading institution serving Latinos with a medical school, colleges of nursing and pharmacy, public health program and doctoral-level programs in economics, political science and sociology, the University of New Mexico is uniquely positioned to assist the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in continuing its mission of improving the health and health care of all Americans.

For more information, visit http://www.rwjf.org/.