Appendix A: Entry-Level, Population-Based Public Health Nursing (PHN) Competencies for the New Graduate or Novice Public Health Nurse

PHN Knowledge and Skills

CORNERSTONE

Public health nursing practice focuses on entire populations and reflects community priorities and needs.

1. Applies the public health nursing process to communities, systems, individuals, and families

   1. Identifies the population(s) for which the PHN is accountable

   2. Assesses the health status of communities, systems, individuals, and families

      1. Uses a health and social determinants framework to determine risk factors and protective factors that lead to health and illness in communities, systems, individuals, and families

      2. Identifies relevant and appropriate data and information sources for the populations to which the PHN is accountable

         1. Familiar with data used in the health department

         2. Familiar with data in the programs in which the PHN works

      3. Works in partnership with communities, systems, individuals, or families to attach meaning to collected quantitative and qualitative data

      4. Works in partnership with communities, systems, individuals, and families to establish priorities

   3. Creates public health strength, risk, and asset-based diagnoses for communities, systems, individuals, and families

   4. In partnership with communities, systems, individuals, and families, develops a plan based on priorities (including nursing care plans for individuals/families)

      1. Selects desired outcomes that are measurable, meaningful, and manageable

      2. Selects public health interventions that

         1. Are supported by current literature as evidence-based

         2. Reduce health determinant risk factors and strengthen health determinant protective factors

         3. Have the greatest potential for improving the health of the population

         4. Respect and are consistent with the culture and ethnic beliefs of the community

         5. Are consistent with professional standards, the Nurse Practice Act, existing laws, ordinances, and policies

      3. Selects level(s) of intervention (community, systems, individuals, and families)

      4. Selects level(s) of prevention (primary, secondary, tertiary)

   5. Implements the plan with communities, systems, individuals, and families

      1. Works in partnership with communities, systems, individuals, and families to implement public health interventions

      2. Utilizes best practices when implementing the public health nursing intervention

   6. Evaluates

      1. Measures outcomes of public health nursing interventions using evidence-based methods and tools

      2. Documents the public health nursing process by completing forms, records, and charts for communities, systems, individuals, and families

      3. Uses information technology to collect, document, analyze, store, and retrieve the health status of communities, systems, individuals, and families

CORNERSTONE

Public health nursing practice promotes health through strategies driven by epidemiological evidence.

• 2. Utilizes basic epidemiological (the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population) principles in public health nursing practice

  1. Understands the relationship between community assessment and health promotion/disease prevention programs, especially the populations and programs with which the PHN works

  2. Understands the relationships between risk/protective factors and health issues

  3. Obtains and interprets information regarding risks and benefits to the community

  4. Applies an epidemiological framework when assessing and intervening with communities, systems, individuals, and families

• 3. Utilizes the principles and science of environmental health to promote safe and sustainable environments for individuals/families, systems, and communities

  1. Promotes environments that facilitate holistic well-being and health, healing, and healthy lifestyles for individuals/families, systems, and communities

     1. Assesses environmental risk ...