Population-Based Nursing: Concepts and Competencies for Advanced Practice, Third Edition

The Challenge It Addresses

Advanced practice nurses entering the DNP or population health track face a critical challenge: translating clinical excellence into measurable population-level outcomes without a structured framework. Population-Based Nursing: Concepts and Competencies for Advanced Practice directly addresses this gap by operationalizing the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) core competencies for population-based care. This text provides the conceptual tools and practical strategies needed to shift from individual patient management to community health improvement, ensuring that DNP graduates can design, implement, and evaluate interventions that truly change population health trajectories.

What Is Population-Based Nursing: Concepts and Competencies for Advanced Practice, Third Edition? A Complete Overview

Population-Based Nursing is a definitive textbook by Ann L. Cupp Curley, now in its Third Edition (2020), published by Springer Publishing Company. It delivers the essential content areas required for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as recommended by the AACN, with a laser focus on the core competencies for population-based nursing. The book equips readers to identify healthcare needs at the population level, analyze epidemiologic data, and develop evidence-based interventions that improve outcomes across diverse communities. Unlike general nursing texts, this volume integrates epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, and community engagement into a single, competency-driven framework.

The Third Edition updates key content on social determinants of health, cultural competence, and emerging public health threats, ensuring DNP students and practicing advanced practice nurses have the most current tools for population health leadership.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is tailored for three primary audiences:

• DNP Students — required reading for population health, epidemiology, and community-based nursing courses in accredited DNP programs.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) — nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists seeking to integrate population health into their practice.
• Public Health Nurses and Community Health Leaders — professionals who design and manage population-level interventions and need a competency-based framework for evaluation.

If your role involves improving health outcomes for groups rather than individuals, this textbook provides the foundational concepts and applied methodologies you need.

What You Will Learn

Population-Based Nursing systematically builds your expertise across these critical areas:

• Population Health Assessment — how to identify and prioritize health needs using epidemiologic data, community surveys, and stakeholder input.
• Epidemiology for Advanced Practice — application of incidence, prevalence, risk factors, and study designs to real-world population problems.
• Cultural Competence and Health Equity — strategies to address disparities and design culturally sensitive interventions.
• Health Policy and Advocacy — understanding how policy shapes population health and how nurses can influence legislation.
• Program Planning and Evaluation — step-by-step methods for implementing evidence-based programs and measuring their impact.
• Interprofessional Collaboration — working effectively with public health officials, community organizations, and other disciplines.
• Ethical and Legal Considerations — navigating privacy, informed consent, and justice issues in population-level care.

Each chapter includes case studies, competency checklists, and reflective exercises to bridge theory and practice.

Why This Book Stands Out

Compared to generic epidemiology or community health texts, Population-Based Nursing is uniquely aligned with the AACN DNP Essentials, making it the authoritative resource for DNP curriculum designers and students alike. Competing titles like Community/Public Health Nursing often focus on undergraduate-level content or lack the depth in competency-based assessment. Curley’s text is the only one to explicitly map each chapter to specific AACN competencies, saving faculty time and ensuring students meet accreditation standards. Additionally, the Third Edition includes updated references to the latest Healthy People objectives and national quality initiatives, giving readers an edge in real-world practice.

The book also stands out for its practical focus: rather than presenting abstract theory, it provides templates for community assessments, logic models for program design, and rubrics for evaluating population outcomes. This makes it an indispensable tool for both classroom learning and field implementation.

Who Wrote This Book

Ann L. Cupp Curley, PhD, RN, is a nationally recognized leader in nursing education and population health. With decades of experience in DNP program development, she has contributed directly to the AACN competencies that shape advanced practice nursing. Dr. Curley’s academic credentials and hands-on work in community-based research ensure that every chapter reflects both scholarly rigor and real-world applicability. The publisher, Springer Publishing Company, is a trusted name in nursing and healthcare literature, known for producing high-quality, evidence-based textbooks used in top-tier nursing programs across the United States. This combination of author expertise and publisher reputation gives readers confidence that they are learning from the best in the field.

The Bottom Line

For DNP students and advanced practice nurses committed to excellence in population health, Population-Based Nursing: Concepts and Competencies for Advanced Practice, Third Edition is not just worth it — it is essential. The book’s direct alignment with AACN competencies eliminates guesswork in meeting accreditation requirements, while its hands-on tools accelerate the transfer of knowledge to practice. Faculty will appreciate the clear learning objectives and assessment rubrics; students will value the real-world case studies and concise explanations. Compared to the cost of missing a competency gap in your DNP program or practice, this textbook is a small investment with outsized returns. We confidently recommend it as the premier resource for population-based nursing education.

Get Your Copy Today

Whether you are a DNP student preparing for board certification, a faculty member designing a population health course, or an APRN expanding your practice scope, Population-Based Nursing provides the exact framework you need to succeed. The Third Edition is current, comprehensive, and built on the AACN competencies that define excellence in advanced practice. Add this indispensable resource to your cart today and take the next step toward improving health outcomes for entire communities. Backed by Springer Publishing’s reputation and Dr. Curley’s unmatched expertise, this is the one textbook that will serve you from classroom to career.