Public health nursing workforce and learning needs: A national sample survey analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nursing Workforce Development
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The public health nursing (PHN) workforce is crucial for community health.
• Understanding the demographic and educational needs of PHNs is essential for effective workforce planning.
• Previous national data on the PHN workforce's specific characteristics and training requirements were limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate national estimates of the public health nursing workforce's demographic and work characteristics.
• To identify the continuing education learning needs of the public health nursing workforce in the United States.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of the 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses.
• Categorization of 7,352 respondents as public health nurses (PHNs) from a total of 50,273 survey participants.
• Analysis of survey items related to demographics, practice setting, training topics, and languages spoken.

Main Results:

• The estimated national public health nursing workforce comprises 467,271 individuals.
• Key demographic and work characteristics of the PHN workforce were identified.
• Mental health training was the most requested continuing education topic, followed by patient-centered care and evidence-based care.
• Continuing education needs varied significantly based on the practice setting.

Conclusions:

• The findings provide a crucial needs assessment for national public health nursing professional development and education initiatives.
• Results highlight the importance of tailored continuing education programs to meet diverse practice setting needs.
• Further research with a nationally representative sample is recommended to refine understanding and support public health nursing practice.