Public health nurses what do you do? Do public health nurses understand their own roles?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is two-fold: a.) to identify how public health nurses (PHN) understand and view their role and contribution to healthcare; and b) to compare PHN perceptions with the scope and standards of public health nursing.

Significance: Leaders in public health nursing have expressed concern regarding the education and training of PHN. Studies have looked at what administration indicates are public health functions. However, little has been done to investigate what front-line PHNs view as their main responsibilities. As budgets continue to tighten, it is imperative that public health nurses understand and articulate their role in maintaining and improving the health of the nation.

Procedure: Fifteen public health nurses from across the United States participated in qualitative interviews. These interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed for common themes. The data were then compared with the Scope and Standards of Public Health Nursing Practice (both old and revised versions).

Findings: Preliminary findings indicate PHN have varying levels of comprehension as to their role in public health. Many could list specific programs in which they worked, but most focused on the health of individuals, not a population. Their responses did encompass many of the scopes and standards of public health (such as primary prevention, partnering/collaborating with others), however some of key responsibilities were not always identified. Some PHN understand the politics behind funding public health, but usually only how it related to their jobs.

Conclusion: PHN are often the victims of budget cuts. This could be partly due to the lack of understanding of some PHN, as well as not being able to articulate their value to society. More outreach and education is critically needed so PHNs clearly understand their role and can then promote it to policy-makers and the general public.