The graduate certificate in health informatics is designed to prepare individuals interested in gaining comprehensive knowledge and skills in the design, utilization, evaluation, and clinical processes of health informatics. The certificate draws from the expertise found in our nursing, health informatics and bioinformatics, and public administration graduate programs.

Nursing is an exciting profession that provides endless challenges and satisfaction for the practitioner. Increasing attention to health promotion and maintenance, technological advances and care to vulnerable populations have led to new avenues for nursing practice. Kirkhof College of Nursing provides an educational environment that allows the student to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to ensure the health of the public.

Grand Valley State University's Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) is offered through the universitys Kirkhof College of Nursing and is designed for nurses seeking a terminal degree in nursing practice. It is the only program of its type in West Michigan.

The D.N.P. curriculum is delivered in a hybrid format with a focus on the national agenda to transform American health care through interprofessional collaboration, health care policy advocacy, patient-centered care, quality/safety initiatives, and use of informatics. We have a dedicated full-time placement coordinator who manages all of your clinical placements, and immersion experiences take place throughout the programs. The D.N.P. program offers emphasis areas in:

Nursing is an exciting profession that is responsive to changes in health care. An increasing focus on health promotion and maintenance, and technological advancements in the treatment of illness, has placed new demands on health care providers. Professional nurses are needed to provide evidence based solutions to critical problems, improve patient safety through risk reduction, and illness and disease management at the point of care.

Nursing is an exciting profession that is currently undergoing many challenges as the health care system changes. For R.N.s who do not yet have a B.S.N., the Kirkhof College of Nursing provides a specialized program that allows students to obtain the tools to meet those challenges head on. Curricular content on research, evidence based practice, quality and safety, and nursing care in the community provide new ways of thinking about and addressing care to a diverse population of clients.

This certificate program prepares nurse practitioners to fill the workforce gaps in the mental health system, offering an important perspective on both the physical and mental health needs of people who seek care.