Credentialing Public Health Nurses: Current Issues and Next Steps Forward

The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to identify Public Health Nurses' (PHN) perceived motivators and barriers to seeking PHN board certification.

In collaboration with the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations, PHNs from across the United States were invited to complete the PHN Certification Survey, a 14-item online questionnaire.

A total of 912 surveys were completed.

PHNs were motivated to seek PHN board certification by three overarching categories: professional competence, personal satisfaction, and financial incentives. Frequently cited barriers to certification were lack of knowledge of certification opportunities, being unaware of eligibility criteria, cost, perceived lack of value/reward by employer, and preparation time.

Demonstrating a highly educated, competent, and reliable PHN workforce can only be achieved through ongoing professional development and credentialing. PH stakeholders (i.e., PHN organizations, employers, PHNs, etc.) need a strategic approach to address the main barriers to certification identified in this study (a) awareness of certification and eligibility criteria, and (b) recognition of the credential by employers. In addition, research on the relationship between PHN credentialing and population health outcomes is essential.