Community-oriented primary care: a model for public health nursing.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Community Health

Background:

• Public health nursing has historically focused on population health but shifted towards clinical, illness-oriented roles.
• Nurse leaders in 1993 urged a return to generalist roots emphasizing prevention and health promotion.
• The Public Health Functions Project identified needs for public health workers to address current challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a fellowship program that prepared nurses for public health challenges.
• To demonstrate how nurses can embrace generalist roles and lead in achieving national health goals.
• To highlight the principles and practice of community-oriented primary care.

Main Methods:

• A fellowship program enrolled midcareer nurses.
• The program taught principles and practice of community-oriented primary care.
• This approach merged clinical care with population health sciences.

Main Results:

• The fellowship program anticipated national recommendations for public health nursing.
• Nurses were trained to work in partnership with communities to address health problems.
• The program equipped nurses to meet current healthcare system changes.

Conclusions:

• Nurses can reclaim their generalist roots in public health.
• Community-oriented primary care is key to addressing contemporary public health issues.
• Public health nurses can play a leading role in achieving national health objectives.