A public health nurse is critical in improving population health outcomes by educating communities and delivering care. In this leadership position, registered nurses make positive changes through policy reform and community building.1
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. public health nurses served on the frontlines, treating patients and educating them about the virus, tracing their contacts and delivering self-isolation guidance.2 Let’s review the role of a public health nurse and the steps you need to take to build a career in this field.
What Is a Public Health Nurse?3
A public health nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who advocates for positive changes in population health. This exciting career path allows nurses to work directly within communities to educate people and provide the tools they need to improve health outcomes.
What Does a Public Health Nurse Do?
The role of a public health nurse is to promote public wellness. In this capacity, nurses focus on helping underserved and at-risk individuals gain access to the care they need. The main goal of public health nurses is to help prevent disease and reduce health risks at the population level through evidence-based care and education.
In general, a public health nurse job description includes:4
- Recording and analyzing aggregate medical data
- Evaluating the health of patients and creating treatment plans
- Monitoring patients for any changes in condition
- Delivering top-quality care alongside physicians
- Educating patients about available support services and helping them access care
- Emphasizing primary prevention to avoid disease or injury before it occurs
- Working with public health officials to help underserved communities gain access to care
- Developing a relationship with patients and following up to track progress
- Referring patients to other providers as needed
- Assessing health trends in communities
- Managing budgets of public health programs
A principal goal of public health nursing is to address the health disparities across communities by focusing on the environmental, economic, and social determinants of health.5 These are the conditions that influence individual and group differences in health status. They include economic stability, educational level, healthcare access, food security, the neighborhood and built environment and social issues such as racial discrimination. Working for social justice is a key aspect of the role of a public health nurse, who promotes change through policy reform, community building and system-level nursing interventions.
Qualities of a Public Health Nurse
There are skills and qualities that the best public health nurses typically have in common. First, they are excellent communicators with strong interpersonal skills who are able to collaborate with different types of healthcare professionals.6 Public health nursing is a great role for anyone who enjoys problem-solving, working with a network of professionals, impacting lives and influencing change.
How to Become a Public Health Nurse
While it’s possible to become licensed after completing a diploma nursing program or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), the typical educational path is to earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), as it tends to open the most doors. Regardless of your path, you must pass the NCLEX-RN examination and then apply to obtain your public health nurse certification.7
After some time as a practicing nurse, if you want to enhance your knowledge and credentials, consider earning a graduate nursing degree. A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) include coursework in leadership and advocacy, key aspects of a public health nursing practice. Depending on the university, the MSN or DNP may offer the option to become a nurse practitioner, a career choice with more responsibilities and autonomy. The nurse educator role specialty may also be offered, which prepares nurses for teaching in diverse settings.*
Where Do Public Health Nurses Work?8
As a public health nurse or community health nurse, you will likely focus on improving community health care services and providing direct clinical services to at-risk populations. You may have the chance to work in diverse nursing roles and a variety of settings, including:
- Government Organizations: Pursue a role in county or state health departments, to develop policies and find new ways to improve population health.
- Nonprofit Organizations: Work in settings such as the Red Cross to support healthy communities and educate staff on ways to boost community health.
- School Systems: Educate students on personal hygiene, sexual health and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Community Clinics: Provide information on prominent community health problems and develop educational programs to help community members improve their health.
- Outpatient Clinics: Work as a health education leader and address individual patient concerns and encourage them to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Public Health Nurse Job Outlook and Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not offer specific data on the specialty of public health nursing or community health nursing. However, the BLS does project the employment of registered nurses to grow by 6 percent (faster than the average growth rate for all occupations) from 2023 to 2033.9 The profession of the registered nurse was ranked 18th in U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Health Care Jobs.10
Working as a public health nurse can be a meaningful, rewarding experience. As they have demonstrated during the ongoing staffing shortage of nurses nationwide, public health nurses play a crucial role in disease prevention and mitigating community health crises. Public health nurses are reliable responders who deliver safe, effective and nondiscriminatory primary care to the communities they serve. If you’re passionate about the fight to improve population health, the field of public health nursing may be a great fit for you.
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates designed for working nurses. Our degrees are offered online, with optional on-campus immersions.* Role specialties include Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)** and Nurse Executive. The MSN and DNP have options to accelerate your time to degree completion. Earn your advanced nursing degree while keeping your work and life in balance.
*Call for availability.
**The FNP role specialty includes one required hands-on clinical intensive as part of the curriculum.
***The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner role specialty is not available for the DNP program.
****Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress, traditional vs accelerated pathway, credits transferred and other factors.
Salary data may not reflect starting pay for recent graduates.
Sources:
- Morris, G., “10 Ways Nurses Can Get Involved in Policy,” NurseJournal, November 10, 2023, https://nursejournal.org/articles/ways-nurses-can-get-involved-in-policy/.
- Hassmiller, S., “Revitalizing Public Health Nursing for the Future,” American Journal of Public Health, National Center for Biotechnology Information, June 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9184896/.
- Explore Health Careers, “Public Health Nurse,” Explore Health Careers, 2025, https://explorehealthcareers.org/career/nursing/public-health-nurse/.
- Nurses for Healthier Tomorrow, “Public Health Nurse,” Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow, 2025, https://www.nursesource.org/publichealth.html.
- Luisa Albert, “Public Health Nursing: An Essential Pillar for Community Well-being,” Journal of Research in Nursing and Midwifery, June 30, 2023, 12:3, https://www.interesjournals.org/articles/public-health-nursing-an-essential-pillar-for-community-wellbeing-98794.html
- CDC NERD Academy, “Career Spotlight: Public Health Nurse,” CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/nerd-academy/pdfs/module-7-career-spotlight-infection-public-health-nurse.pdf.
- Jean, J., “How to Become a Public Health RN,” August 7, 2024, NurseJournal, https://nursejournal.org/careers/public-health-nurse/how-to-become/.
- Hamilin, K., “5 Places Where Public Health Nurses Work,” Nurse Journal, August 29, 2022, https://nursejournal.org/public-health-nursing/5-places-where-public-health-nurses-work/.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Registered Nurses: Summary,” BLS, August 29, 2024, https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/registered-nurse.
- U.S. News & World Report, “Registered Nurse,” U.S. News & World Report, 2025, https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/registered-nurse.
- “Public Health Careers, CDC NERD Academy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/nerd-academy/careers/index.html.
