Title

Community/Public Health Nursing: Is There a Future for the Specialty?

Publication Date

11-1-2014

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Graduate nursing education in the United States has undergone significant changes over the last decade with institution of the doctorate in nursing practice (2006) and the revised Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing (2011). An overview of the status of community/public health nursing (C/PHN) education and practice during the past 100 years provides a historic context for understanding the current situation of the specialty. An analysis of U.S. graduate nursing programs in C/PHN is used to foreground a discussion of the factors that may significantly affect community/public health nurses' interest in graduate education and the ability to sustain a master's-prepared C/PHN workforce. Questions are raised about how the potential loss of this particular specialty may influence the practice of C/PHN and the role of nursing in general in ensuring the public's health. Recommendations are offered for strengthening the specialty long-term, with a particular focus on C/PHN education and practice.

Publication Title

Nursing Outlook

Volume

62

Issue

6

First Page

448

Last Page

458

DOI

10.1016/j.outlook.2014.06.007

Publisher Policy

pre-print, post-print

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