Mostly in the Community.
Community Clinics
Community health focuses on the well-being of specific communities, providing both health promotion and direct care to individuals.
Public health nurses work in community clinics serving individuals who may not otherwise have access to care or cannot afford healthcare services. They provide services similar to other primary care settings. Treating urgent illnesses, managing chronic conditions, delivering immunizations, providing preventive care, and educating patients on health and wellness often top the list of services public health nurses provide.
In fact, education is a primary concern of community health nurses, who often implement programs specific to their communities, dealing with issues like teen pregnancy, obesity, infectious disease, and substance abuse. Their efforts may include providing counseling and screenings, handing out flyers, or developing other projects designed to support the well-being and deliver quality care to underserved members of the community.
2. Government Agencies
Many public health nurses work for government agencies, from health departments and worksites to correctional facilities. Roles within these organizations vary as well. For example, a public health nurse working in a correctional facility may provide direct patient care, while those working within health departments typically fill advocacy or research roles.
Public health nurses working in government settings help find solutions to widespread health issues, including disease outbreaks like COVID-19. They focus on the sources of health trends and problems, then identify and develop policies, education initiatives, and partnership opportunities to improve outcomes.
Government agencies offer a variety of roles for public health nurses. For example, you might:
Manage grants for a state agency or the CDC
Conduct epidemiological research related to disease outbreaks
Oversee public health emergency preparedness programs
Develop immunization clinics in areas of need
Overall, public health nurses in the government sector work on creating system-level policy reform to ensure the best outcomes.
3. Outpatient Clinics
In many communities, outpatient clinics fill a vital need for residents who may not have access to a primary care practice or hospital. Outpatient clinics may provide general care for minor illnesses or focus on a specific need, such as women's health or substance abuse.
Public health nurses in this setting provide direct patient care and education. They might perform a pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection test or administer medication at an opioid treatment center. However, public health nurses are also a source of health information and work with patients to ensure they have access to healthcare resources. For instance, outpatient clinics may educate young pregnant women on caring for themselves during pregnancy or provide important information about breastfeeding, immunizations, or other topics.
Featured Online RN to BS
Depends on what type of public health interests you. I got my PHN license as part of my nursing degree and I have found that since this foundation of thought was built into my original nursing training I prefer working at smaller, community level hospital where patient care us very hands. I also do side gigs in teaching and vaccination clinics, and I volunteer as a disaster response nurse.
Check County Health Departments.
