DNP graduates in administrative, and population-based (public health) specialties focus their practice on aggregates: populations, systems, organizations, and state or national policies.

These specialties generally do not have direct patient care responsibilities. However, DNP graduates practicing at the systems/organization level are still called upon to define actual and emerging problems and design aggregate level health interventions. These activities require that DNP graduates be competent in advanced organizational, systems, or community assessment techniques, in combination with expert level understanding of nursing and related biological and behavioral sciences.

The DNP graduate preparing for advanced specialty practice at the population/organizational/systems level demonstrates competencies in conducting comprehensive organizational, systems, and/or community assessments to identify aggregate health or system needs; working with diverse stakeholders for inter- or intra-organizational achievement of health-related organizational or public policy goals; and, designing patient-centered care delivery systems or policy level delivery models.

The Drake Center

Drake Center, a part of the University of Cincinnati Health System, provides a comprehensive care continuum and a variety of services to help patients throughout their recovery, including long-term acute care, transitional care, assisted living, outpatient services, wellness services, and on-site research studies.

Drake Center is the only similar hospital in the region with in-house, clinical research laboratories funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Stroke Association, and other national and international funding organizations. Advanced technology, including implementation of EPIC for electronic documentation, gives patients the best advantage. The center brings together expert clinicians and researchers to provide world-class care to patients in the area community and far beyond.

Drake offers wonderful learning experiences for residents and students in most health care disciplines.

Debbie Hampton, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, is vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at the center and a part-time faculty member at the College of Nursing.

U.S. Navy

Captain Debra Hall, PhD, RN, CCRN, is serving a year-long deployment at the Role 3 Multinational NATO Hospital in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. She provides hands-on patient care to U.S. service members, as well as those from other coalition countries and Afghan citizens. Dr. Hall is also a part-time faculty member at the College of Nursing.