Public Health Nurse Competencies: Perspectives on Application

One of public health's ten essential functions is assuring a competent workforce. In 2003, the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations published a set of national public health nursing core competencies to create a guide for facilitating education, orientation, training, and lifelong learning for the public health nursing profession. Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) in Colorado set a goal to apply PHN Competencies concepts and language in creating meaningful orientation for new public health nurses (PHNs). The nationally recognized competencies concepts were integrated into an orientation tool for new public health nurses in their first year of employment. PHN Competencies based orientation tools were drafted for PHNs working in three program areas: Communicable Disease Control/Surveillance and Immunization, Maternal-Child Health, and Family Planning and STD/HIV clinics. Early findings indicate that the PHN Competencies tool applied in PHN role preparation facilitates introspection and critical thinking, higher motivation and accountability, and clarity in setting and reaching program goals. The tool has been shared statewide and is being used by other PHN leaders as a template for piloting in their agencies. PHN Competencies distinguish public health nursing from other areas of nursing practice. With PHN Competency based tools, education, orientation, and performance evaluation can be linked for the public health nurse professional.