Nursing@USC Blog

What Can I Do With My MSN Degree?

Today’s nursing workforce continues to broaden to just about every corner of our lives — from ethics to research to larger policy issues. Consequently, career options for those with nursing skills are diversifying too.

Does Race Increase Your Chances of Asthma?

Black children are diagnosed with asthma twice as often as their white peers. After diagnosis, black children are three times more likely to face serious asthma-related events of hospitalization and death. For black children growing up in urban areas, there are many barriers to achieving optimal health. Read to learn more about what nurses and community leaders are doing to combat the issue.

Abstract Healing: Art Therapy for Patients with Chronic Conditions

Managing chronic conditions can leave patients vulnerable to developing depression, anxiety, and other emotional and mental health issues that exacerbate physical symptoms of health complications. A variety of studies show art therapy has increasing benefits for patients managing conditions for long periods of time.

Why does Alzheimer’s Affect Latino Families So Severely?

Diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease are rising in tandem with the aging population in the United States, but the disease isn’t spreading evenly across racial and ethnic groups. While Latinos are 50 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than non-Latino whites, they’re less likely to pursue treatment for the disease. What can nurse practitioners do to help?

What Does Self-Care Mean for Individuals With Diabetes?

When patients diagnosed with diabetes can’t — or won’t — see a health care provider, they’re left to their own devices, which often leads to self-care, a practice that many people take for granted. What does self-care mean for these individuals?

Reproductive and Sexual Health: What’s the Difference?

Benefits of the Birth Control Pill

“Women are more than their ability to reproduce,” said Dr. Ellen Olshansky, chair of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Department of Nursing. How do we highlight the importance of women’s sexual health so it’s valued just as much as their reproductive health?

Full Practice Authority Brings Better Quality Care for Veterans

In December 2016, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs granted full practice authority to their nurse practitioners. While 28 states prohibit nurses from practicing at the full scope, the VA is paving the way for more organizations to improve quality of care for our nation’s veterans.