How To Become a Public Health Nurse
What Is a Public Health Nurse?
If you’re a current or aspiring nurse exploring different nursing specialties, you may be wondering, What is a public health nurse? and What makes this position unique? Like all nurses, public health nurses advocate for patients. However, the difference is the public health profession involves the health of an entire population, not just one patient at a time.
Public health nurses promote communities’ health, including towns, counties, states or entire countries. Their primary focus is on the community as a whole. The public health field is distinctive in its emphasis on prevention and reducing risk factors for disease and injury, especially where underserved and at-risk populations are concerned. Some examples of this include encouraging children to wear bicycle helmets or helping smokers access smoking cessation support services.
What Does a Public Health Nurse Do?
Public health nurses engage in public policy and planning. They develop support systems and programs in the community to prevent problems and provide access to care. These professionals may also provide direct patient care. Specific job responsibilities vary depending on the workplace and the population served. However, here are some of the possibilities:
Gather, record and analyze medical information
This information is used to help identify health trends in the community, such as a spike in heart attack deaths or an outbreak of foodborne illnesses.
Influence public policy
These professionals aim to create more access to healthcare services and reduce healthcare disparities with the goal of generating better health outcomes for underserved and at-risk patients.
Public health nurses may take social determinants of health into consideration for a holistic approach to community wellness because many factors can significantly influence health such as geography, education level, economic stability and social issues.
If you’re exploring the possibility of becoming a public health nurse, you first should understand the public health nurse requirements.
If you’re aspiring to become a public health nurse and you’re still in high school, speak with your counseling or advising team. They can help you develop an educational plan and suggest courses you can take now that may be beneficial later. Because nursing is a very science-heavy field, taking various science courses in high school, such as biology or chemistry, may help you as you begin your nursing journey.
An aspiring public health nurse must first become a registered nurse (RN). This process begins with an undergraduate degree in nursing through either an ADN or a bachelor’s degree in nursing program. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can provide you with a deeper understanding of essential nursing skills and critical thinking. In most states, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the minimum required to become a public health nurse. As a result, it can better prepare you to promote favorable patient outcomes. After earning your nursing degree, you will need to take and pass the NCLEX-RN® exam to become an RN.
After earning your BSN degree, you may choose to further your education to earn a master’s degree to help you achieve a deeper understanding of public health nursing. There are Master of Science in Nursing programs that offer an emphasis in public health, as well as Master of Public Health degrees.
After you become an RN, you will need to gain experience as a nurse and pursue a position in public health nursing. Some may choose to pursue additional education right away or wait to gain experience before entering the field as a public health nurse.
There are several certificate options that may help those aspiring to break into the public health sector to sharpen their skills in areas relevant to public health nursing. Some of these may include certificates in communications, leadership or nursing education.
In certain states, such as California and Minnesota, many employers require certification as a public health nurse. In New York, you may need certification to work as a school nurse, which is a public health specialty. While it is not legally required, many employers prefer public health nurses to have professional certification.2 There is a professional public health certification exam that one can take to earn their Certification in Public Health (CPH) after three years of experience. This certification can help you demonstrate your advanced knowledge, skills and commitment to the field of public health nursing.3
As you can see, there are various routes you can take on your way to becoming a public health nurse. Regardless of which option best suits you, you can expect to continuously gain experience as you work to grow your knowledge of the field and serve your community by acting as an advocate for change.
Loading Form
Best Degrees for a Public Health Nurse
After you have earned your BSN and acquired a few years of working experience, you may decide that it is time to return to school. Obtaining a graduate degree can demonstrate your competence of the public health nursing field, as well as allow you to apply for certification after you graduate.2
Look for an MSN degree that offers a specialization in public health nursing or a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Both options will allow you to explore advanced topics such as epidemiology, population health management, organizational leadership and the analysis and application of public health data, while the MSN will also focus more on social and behavioral principles, interprofessional collaboration, population assessment and program planning and evaluation.
Explore online public health degrees that help offer flexibility for working professionals looking to start or advance their career.
GCU offers various undergraduate BSN options for you to first become an RN, followed by two graduate degrees that can help you on your journey to becoming a public health nurse. Depending on your previous educational and work background, one degree program may be more suitable for you than another. These programs include:
Bachelor’s Programs
Master’s Programs
Certificates
Other Programs
Median Annual Wage
When reviewing public health nurse salary estimates, we can look at the annual median data for registered nurses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), registered nurses have a median annual wage of $86,070 as of May 2023.4
Projected Job Growth
While the BLS does not have specific job growth data for public health nurses, we can look at registered nursing data to get an idea of the growth in this industry. The BLS estimates job growth for registered nurses to increase by at least 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of 177,400 jobs in the field.5
Where Do Public Health Nurses Work?
Public health nurses work in a variety of settings. Some work for nonprofits or governmental institutions, while others work for privately held healthcare companies. Some common areas that have public health nurses on staff include:
Health Clinics
Public health nurses can work at clinics to become a part of promoting change, providing healthcare education and other awareness services aimed at helping improve the health of the community. Clinics can be part of larger health care organizations, free-standing non-governmental organizations or the public health department.
County and State Health Departments
Public health nurses who work in county or state health departments are primarily community advocates. They use their knowledge to influence and develop public policies to improve the health of the region they serve, such as preparing emergency preparedness programs, evaluating existing programs, and implementing new programs based on population/community assessments. They also work to implement health initiatives and track their progress and impact over time. Many work in administrative roles although registered nurses can also provide direct care in public health clinics.
Nonprofit Organizations
These organizations are dedicated to improving healthcare for disenfranchised communities. Public health nurses who work for them may take on various tasks, ranging from educating communities on disease outbreak prevention to spearheading an initiative to deliver clean drinking water to disaster relief programs.
School Systems
Nurses working in school systems play a critical role in the community’s health. Nurses can exert an influence on the next generation by educating young people about important health issues and helping them develop healthy habits. In addition to facilitating education about personal hygiene and other essential topics, school nurses evaluate healthcare concerns and administer prescribed medications.
Advancement Opportunities Within Public Health Nursing
For those in the nursing field who are looking to advance to the highest level of nursing education, GCU offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. This degree program is ideal for nurse leaders who are looking to impact healthcare from the forefront. This program will teach you the theoretical and scientific foundations of healthcare, allowing you the opportunity to potentially reach clinical excellence and make a difference in your community through various high-level roles.
Do you feel called to serve others in your community through a career in public health? If so, consider enrolling in the right nursing program for you at GCU!
1 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Registered nurses. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved Feb. 27, 2024.
2 NurseJournal. (2022, Dec. 6). How to become a public health RN. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
3 National Board of Public Health Examiners. (2024). Eligibility requirements. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
4 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Registered Nurses, as of May 2023, retrieved on May 21, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as registered nurses, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
5 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses, retrieved on March 14, 2024.