About Us

About the Program

The UCSF OEHN Program was established in 1979 to prepare advanced practice nurses in OEHN at the MS level. The program is a component of the Northern California Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH) created in 1977 by the State legislative mandate. It is a core program for the Northern California Education and Research Center (NorCal-ERC) funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The program currently prepares graduates with role specialization as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner-OEH (hereafter ‘OEH-NP’).

Goals of the Program

The main goal of the PhD program is the development of nurse scientists who provide leadership within the community of scholars and society. In 1986, NIOSH approved funding for research trainees in the PhD program with an OEHN focus. PhD students are encouraged to engage in ongoing faculty research and conduct relevant research that is responsive to the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), and disseminate their findings via publications and presentations at professional and scientific meetings. Our recruitment efforts have yielded highly qualified and motivated students from diverse groups. Efforts include faculty presentations and student attendance at regional and national conferences (e.g., American Association of Occupational Health Nurses [AAOHN], American Public Health Association [APHA], CA State Association of OHN, Western Institute of Nursing, etc.).