Would Public Health be positions like working for the health department or giving vaccines? What other responsibilities would I have?

There are numerous areas to work in public health nursing. If not a public health nurse these comments do not apply. As a PHN, you can work in the communicable disease department which is quite diverse and very interesting. You can work in maternal and adolescent health helping pregnant women by monitoring them, educating them and helping them gain access to care. There is environmental health, dental health, disaster work, and so much more. It really is an interesting field and one is constantly learning.

Public Health is mostly in health departments (county, state or city) but other community-based agencies like home health often value a PHN certificate. Health departments employ PHNs in a myriad of specialties like vaccines, case management, home visits, (for teen moms, high risk infants, homeless, elderly), communicable disease investigations (dozens of diagnoses, not just COVID), emergency response, specialty clinics (TB, venereal diseases, family planning, HIV, etc) and others. Contact the HR office of your local health department and talk with the nurse recruiter. Responsibilities are usually in case management and/or leadership. LVNs and RNs give vaccines, but if you can’t get a PHN certificate a clinic position could be a way into public health.