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Why do nurses enter community and public health practice?
1South Bank University, London.
Summary
Community nurses are vital for public health. This study surveyed students on why they chose community roles, finding reasons like autonomy and better hours, with practice nurses differing in their career outlook.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Public Health
- Healthcare Workforce Studies
Background:
- Current healthcare policy prioritizes public health and community-based care.
- A significant number of experienced community nurses are nearing retirement.
- There is a lack of data on community nurses' career paths and motivations for specialization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the motivations of nurses undertaking community specialist practice (CSP) programs.
- To understand why nurses choose careers in community healthcare settings.
- To identify factors influencing career trajectories within community nursing.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to students in a large London-based CSP program.
- Participants included community children's nurses (CCNs), community mental health nurses (CMHNs), district nurses (DNs), health visitors (HVs), practice nurses (PNs), and school nurses (SNs).
- The survey explored reasons for entering community practice and pursuing CSP programs.
Main Results:
- Key motivations for community practice included increased initiative, autonomy, and preferred working hours.
- Reasons for undertaking CSP programs were scope for initiative, autonomy, independence, and promotion prospects.
- Practice nurses uniquely prioritized hours over promotion, despite expecting higher grades.
Conclusions:
- Nurses in all surveyed roles identified as public health practitioners.
- Career motivations and perceptions of advancement vary among different community nursing specializations.
- Further research with refined tools and broader geographical scope is recommended to explore these findings.