Question

What is the nature of community/public health nursing practice?

Answer 1

Definition

Public health nursing is the practice of promoting and protecting the health of populations using

knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences.

Public health nursing is a specialty practice within nursing and public health. It focuses on improving

population health by emphasizing prevention, and attending to multiple determinants of health. Often

used interchangeably with community health nursing, this nursing practice includes advocacy, policy

development, and planning, which addresses issues of social justice. With a multi-level view of health,

public health nursing action occurs through community applications of theory, evidence, and a

commitment to health equity. In addition to what is put forward in this definition, public health nursing

practice is guided by the American Nurses Association Public Health Nursing: Scope & Standards of

Practice and the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations’ Core Competencies for Public

Health Nurses.

Elements of Practice

Key characteristics of practice include: 1) a focus on the health needs of an entire population, including

inequities and the unique needs of sub-populations; 2) assessment of population health using a

comprehensive, systematic approach; 3) attention to multiple determinants of health; 4) an emphasis o

primary prevention; and 5) application of interventions at all levels—individuals, families, communities,

and the systems that impact their health.

Public Health Nursing Perspective

Public health nursing aims to improve the health outcomes of all populations. Applying their clinical

knowledge and expertise in health care from an ecological perspective, public health nurses acknowledge

the complexity of public health problems and the contextual nature of health—including cultural,

environmental, historical, physical, and social factors. Public health nurses apply systems-level thinking

to assess the potential or actual assets, needs, opportunities, and inequities of individuals, families, and

populations and translate this assessment into action for public good.

Public Health Nursing Activities and Practice Settings

Public health nursing activities comprise the domains depicted by the Public Health Intervention Wheel

Essential Public Health Services.

These activities include community collaboration, health teaching, and policy development, in response to priorities derived from ongoing, comprehensive population focused assessment. Public health nurses are members and leaders of interprofessional teams in diverse settings and in many different types of agencies and organizations including all levels of opportunitie

Public Health Nursing Education

The baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) is recommended for entry-level public health nurses.

The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice emphasize fundamental

concepts for public health nursing practice such as clinical prevention, population health, healthcare

policy, finance, and regulatory environments, and interprofessional collaboration. The graduate is

prepared to conduct community assessments and apply the principles of epidemiology among other

competencies.

Nurses with a master’s degree or higher, and with specialization in population health, demonstrate the

knowledge and skills required for leadership positions. Competencies include mastery of

interprofessional collaboration, health policy and advocacy, population assessment, prevention strategies, and program planning and evaluation.The doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree, with a public

health emphasis, has emerged in the last decade, and provides the foundation for advanced practice in

executive leadership, systems development, and the translation of research into practice. The doctor of

philosophy (PhD) and other research-focused doctoral degrees remain the preparation for public health

nurses to develop the science relevant to public health nursing and to generate the evidence needed to

guide practice. In some states a public health nursing certification is needed to signify a nurse’s specific

competence and expertise in public health nursing. National advanced public health nursing certification

is available via portfolio assessment through American Nurses Credentialin