Required education
ADN or BSN
Average annual salary
$41k–$82k
Attributes
Independent
Work on your own or even start your own practice, in some states.
Out-of-hospital
Treat patients in their homes, during travel, or other non-hospital environments.
Patient-facing
Work hands-on, directly with patients.
Varied
Take on different tasks, patients, and situations every day.
You’ll create plans that prevent health or safety issues and help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
What you’ll do
Assessment
You’ll collect data and try to find patterns in disease outbreaks.
Education
You’ll teach people about preventing diseases and leading a healthy life.
Intervention
You’ll step in when you suspect cases of violence or abuse.
Leadership
You’ll lead the community during a crisis, such as a disease outbreak, or widespread addictions.
Treatment
You’ll perform health screenings and administer medications.
Where you’ll work
- County health departments
- City health departments
- Federal health organization
- Mobile health care service units
How to become a Public Health Nurse
01
Get an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
02
Pass the NCLEX-RN.
03
Work as a Registered Nurse, gaining 2,000 hours experience in Public Health Nursing.
04
You’re ready to work as a Public Health Nurse.
Join an Organization
Become a member of a Public Health Nurse organization to find career opportunities, learn from your colleagues, and support the profession.
Related Organizations
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