Students in USU鈥檚 family nurse practitioner Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program must take a Population Health course as part of their degree requirements. This online class outlines key principles in responding to and understanding population health 鈥� the overall health of a group, be it a group of employees, a community, or entire nation. Students must apply what they learn about theories and models of public health care through debate, small group work, and a series of creative scenarios --including a zombie pandemic.
鈥淲e use the narrative device of a zombie pandemic in animations and assignment to help engage students in content,鈥� explained Catherine Ling, assistant professor and family nurse practitioner for the DNP and PhD programs, in USU鈥檚 Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing.
The students watch video clips of scenarios, including one of the nation鈥檚 鈥淧resident鈥� delivering a brief 鈥淪tate of the Zombie Pandemic鈥� address. They see the impact that a fictitious zombie virus has made on a population, the fear it鈥檚 created 鈥� along with 鈥渁nti-zombie鈥� posters strewn all over cities. These scenarios reinforce teaching materials regarding various tools that shape population health planning and interventions.
The zombie coursework keeps the material interesting, Ling said, and the underlying zombie 鈥渢heme,鈥� throughout each lesson in the module makes it more cohesive. In turn, narrative cohesion makes it easier to remember the material and, therefore, easier to apply should there ever be a real-life population health emergency.
As part of a fictitious Department of Defense division, 鈥淗HIT,鈥� the students draw on what they鈥檝e learned throughout the course to enact a quarantine, administer widespread vaccines, and obtain international resources, Ling explained. Meanwhile, she added, they must remember to follow actual DoD guidelines, when responding to the 鈥済rowing zombie pandemic.鈥�
The purpose of the course is to provide a working understanding of essential competencies in population health. This skill set is critical in an era of increasing antibiotic resistance, emerging infectious diseases and pandemics like Ebola and Zika.
Ling said she鈥檚 always looking for ways to keep students engaged by keeping the material relevant and interesting. Adult learning can be enjoyable as well. Those who aren鈥檛 into zombies don鈥檛 have to watch the videos 鈥� they can read the storyline instead. Students have consistently had positive feedback, Ling said, commenting this is 鈥渢he best online class鈥� they鈥檝e taken.
A student in the DNP/FNP who has taken the course, Air Force Capt. Marcie Hart, echoed those sentiments. As a big fan of the TV show 鈥淭he Walking Dead,鈥� Hart said she was very excited when Dr. Ling mentioned the course would involve a 鈥渮ombie apocalypse-type scenario.鈥�
鈥淭he videos are very tastefully done,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淭he 鈥榠nfected鈥� can be cured later in the scenario, so the characters are not using deadly force, and it is not overtly violent.鈥� Hart added the videos are suspenseful, and exciting. They take somewhat bland, abstract information and make it interesting and concrete. 鈥淚 thought it was a wonderful, fun twist to this course,鈥� Hart said.
While the course is interesting, it also allows the students to use 鈥渢he other side of their brain,鈥� Ling noted. It gives them a chance to think creatively 鈥� and that certainly enhances their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, she said. The online course is also necessary, as a third of the students travel on a temporary duty assignment during the semester.
Ling continues focusing on student engagement, looking for ways to make course work interesting and thought provoking. So far, her imaginative efforts have earned her the Teaching with Sakai Innovation Award (TWSIA) for 2015. The award recognizes educators from institutions around the world for their excellence in teaching and learning.
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About the Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesThe Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, founded by an act of Congress in 1972, is the nation鈥檚 federal health sciences university and the academic heart of the Military Health System. USU students are primarily active duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who receive specialized education in tropical and infectious diseases, TBI and PTSD, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, global health, and acute trauma care. A large percentage of the university鈥檚 more than 5,200 physician and 1,000 advanced practice nursing alumni are supporting operations around the world, offering their leadership and expertise. USU also has graduate programs in biomedical sciences and public health committed to excellence in research, and in oral biology. The University鈥檚 research program covers a wide range of clinical and other topics important to both the military and public health. For more information about USU and its programs, visit .
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