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What Does a Public Health Nurse Do?

A public health nurse works to improve the health of both individuals and communities. Often employed by state or county health departments, public health nurses may have responsibilities including:

• Promoting the health of pregnant women and infants
• Providing immunizations
• Nutrition counseling
• Health education
• Epidemiology and infectious disease control
• Family planning services

Services may be provided in clinics, schools, home visits, or work sites. The focus of the public health nurse is on prevention of injury and illness, as well as on promotion of health.

Education and Training Required to Become a Public Health Nurse

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is generally considered to be the entry level degree for public health nurse positions. Online degree programs are available for transition from RN to BSN degrees; the advanced degree prepares nurses to function in multidisciplinary community settings with greater autonomy. Many nurses working in community health eventually pursue master's degree programs in public health nursing.

Typical Characteristics of a Public Health Nurse

Public health nurses are typically self-directed people who enjoy working in multidisciplinary teams as well as in a variety of settings outside of traditional hospitals or clinic. A public health nurse is often required to evaluate the needs not only of individuals, but also of the community, and must find ways to deliver services effectively across cultural and socioeconomic spectrums.

Public health nurses are advocates for health and are often involved in gathering data and forming policies that may impact the health of members of a community.

High Demand for Public Health Nurses

Many of the major health concern in today's world are in the areas of chronic illness, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, and many forms of cancer. Public health education is critical in teaching people how to make choices that can prevent chronic disease. Injury reduction through education about effective safety measures is also needed. Public health nurses work to understand how best to deliver these health messages in ways that vulnerable populations can understand and use in changing behavior.

Opportunities for employment in local health departments and the public sector can be affected by funding levels, but emphasis on prevention in the private sector may open up more demand in the future for nurses with public health degrees. Job opportunities are expected to be particularly good for individuals with a master's degree in public health nursing.