Get to know the USC School of Social Work's Department of Nursing, the newest addition to the ranks of CANP's valued partners.

The USC School of Social Work's Department of Nursing was founded in 2016 to promote the science of nursing, advance clinical scholarship and educate nurses for clinical leadership roles with a focus on improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities, and creating a socially just world.

The department offers multidisciplinary graduate education with evidence-based nursing and social work practices aimed at helping students become change agents in community health on a local and global scale. The department offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialization.

This innovative program is developed and taught by nationally renowned nurse practitioners. The program integrates both concepts of nursing and social work to educate students on the root causes of patient health outcomes such as illness, disease, premature death and social determinants of health. The department’s goal is to prepare nurses to understand the biomedical and social contexts that contribute to patient health outcomes so that they are better equipped to provide effective prevention strategies and treatment approaches throughout the patient’s life cycle.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has generated a resurgence of interest in social determinants as the basis for health care decisions in nursing education, research and health policy. We are now challenged to integrate this knowledge into practice and education. We believe our pairing of nursing and social work will prepare a new kind of nurse nimble enough to address a multitude of health needs and who is poised to act as a catalyst for an improved, equitable health care system for all.

Learn more about this and other CANP corporate partners.