Every year, public health initiatives are launched in communities to help increase awareness of seasonal flu vaccinations to limit the spread of this potentially dangerous disease. These efforts often fail to achieve their goals: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only half of U.S. citizens received a flu immunization between 2021 and 2022. This speaks to the need for Public Health Nurses. Public health nursing operates on the principle that everyone deserves access to health services. Not only do public health workers treat individuals with illnesses, but they also work to prevent them from becoming ill in the first place.
At the same time, the health outcomes of patients who get the flu are worse in minority communities. According to the CDC, in the same year, Black patients with the flu were 80% more likely to be hospitalized than white patients, while Hispanic patients were 20% more likely. The roots of these disparities include healthcare misinformation, inaccessibility to care, and difficulty scheduling time to receive vaccinations.
Public health nurses are working to change these statistics through comprehensive health education and direct care. Anyone seeking an impactful career and interested in how to become a public health nurse should know the job requires strong interpersonal skills and a foundational education in nursing.
What Is a Public Health Nurse?
Public health nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who work to reduce or eliminate diseases and chronic illnesses in communities through education, advocacy, and direct care. To do this effectively, they need to apply both their clinical nursing skills and knowledge, and their understanding of the communities they serve and how they are impacted by illness and disease.
Compared to RNs who work in clinical healthcare settings such as hospitals and doctors’ offices and who treat patients as they arrive with injuries or illnesses, public health nurses work proactively by reaching out to communities to educate them on health issues such as vaccinations and heart disease.
They may also provide immunizations and education to individuals and communities that lack easy access to healthcare facilities due to barriers such as financial strain or the inability to travel for care.
Public Health Nurse Duties
Public health nurses perform multiple duties, from community outreach and education to direct patient care. Common duties of public health nurses include the following:
- Traveling to patients in need of healthcare, often in underserved communities that lack healthcare facilities
- Administering immunizations at community centers, schools, and businesses
- Working with policymakers to advocate for better public health programs and initiatives
- Using public health data to understand and track a community’s public health issues
- Educating individuals, families, communities, and other healthcare workers on health issues
- Creating actionable plans to help deal with disease outbreaks and epidemics
- Working with other professionals in communities to help prevent or end instances of child abuse and domestic abuse
Steps to Become a Public Health Nurse
Public health nurses must have a combination of qualifications: the foundational education to practice as a nurse, a registered nurse license, and a range of skills needed to perform the job. For those wondering how to become a public health nurse, following are the steps generally taken by public health nurses.
Step 1: Earn a Nursing Degree
The first step to becoming a public health nurse is to pursue the right education to become an RN. Prospective registered nurses can choose to enroll in either a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program.
ADN programs typically offer a curriculum that covers clinical nursing, healthcare informatics, and basic healthcare concepts. BSN programs expand on that curriculum with more in-depth nursing subjects, such as courses specifically on public health and nursing leadership.
In terms of how long it takes to become a registered nurse, ADN programs have fewer course requirements and thus typically take less time to complete, typically two years, while BSN programs take about four years to complete. Time frames can be shorter in accelerated ADN and BSN programs, which award transfer credit to students with general education prerequisites.
Step 2: Gain Licensure and Certification
After earning their degrees, prospective nurses must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), and then apply to their state’s Board of Nursing for an RN license. An RN license signifies that they have the practical skills and knowledge necessary to work unsupervised in clinical settings. While public health nurses don’t usually work in these settings, they do provide vaccinations and medication, which requires licensure.
While not required, gaining a certification can be an excellent way for nurses to showcase to employers their nursing and public health knowledge. Standards and practices in public health are constantly evolving, and pursuing a certification allows nurses to remain at the forefront of the latest trends and strategies. For example, public health nurses can earn the National Board of Public Health Examiners’ certified in public health (CPH) credential, which helps highlight a nurse’s knowledge of the field and its principles.
Step 3: Develop Key Skills
Public health nursing is a complex field that requires strong interpersonal and technical skills. Here are a few hard and soft skills prospective public health nurses should develop:
- Communication: Public health nurses must effectively explain health concepts to individuals and communities. They also need to listen to the needs of the community and to patients so they can provide the best information, health initiatives, and care.
- Cultural competency: When working with people in communities who have different cultural norms, public health nurses must remain respectful of all people and provide tailored education and care that aligns with their values and beliefs.
- Clinical knowledge: In addition to providing health information to communities, public health nurses also provide direct care by administering immunizations, checking vital signs, and helping to develop care plans.
- Data management: Monitoring a community’s needs can require gathering and analyzing a considerable amount of data. This can include tracking a community’s health through records and interpreting public health statistics.
Public Health Nurse Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that positions for registered nurses, including public health nurses, are projected to grow by 6% between 2022 and 2032 — double the 3% average job growth projected for all professions.
With an aging population that is more heavily impacted by infectious diseases and chronic conditions, governments and healthcare institutions are likely to continue to increase funding for public health nurses to assist with education and monitoring efforts.
Take the First Step Toward a Career in Public Health Nursing
By following these steps to become a public health nurse, you can start on the path to a rewarding career. To equip yourself with the nursing knowledge and skills you’ll need as a public health nurse and to prepare for the NCLEX-RN, you should consider the benefits of enrolling in Denver College of Nursing’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Associate Degree in Nursing completion program.
These programs cover the fundamentals of nursing, with a focus on clinical education, mental health, and leadership. The ADN program can be completed in as little as 18 months and the BSN program in as little as 21 months, with required prerequisites, allowing you to choose the pace and depth of your nursing school training.
Discover how you can make a difference in public health with Denver College of Nursing.
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