How to Become a Community Health Nurse

Do you enjoy promoting lifestyle wellness rather than treating acute medical problems? A community health nurse bridges the gap between healthcare providers and the communities they serve, and they’re essential advocates for public health. If you like working with medically stable patients, planning programs, and educating the public, you might be interested in this role.

Community and public health are medical specialties focused on the well-being of a group. They look at individual health as it relates to systemic problems, such as hygiene, poverty, access to medical care, and education.

This specialty might not have the flashiness of the operating room or intensive care. But public health measures such as sanitation requirements, social reform, and improved nutrition are responsible for the greatest improvements in lifespan health in the last century. The importance of community health nursing can’t be overstated — these advocates help improve lives at the population scale.

What Is Community Health Nursing?

These clinicians act as educators, liaisons, advocates, and health experts for a group of people, usually within a geographic area. There are a few other names that these professionals may go by, depending on their focus and where they work. Here are some examples of community health nurse roles and responsibilities:

• Community health nurses work collaboratively to address health disparities, provide preventive care, and promote overall community health.
• Public health nurses engage in community assessments, design and implement health programs, and advocate for policies that improve the health of the broader population.
• Population health nurses collect and interpret data, implement interventions, and collaborate with organizations to enhance the health and well-being of specific populations.
• School health nurses address immediate health needs of students, conduct screenings, and promote health education to ensure a safe and healthy school environment.
• Occupational health nurses assess and manage workplace health risks, promote employee wellness, and collaborate with employers to create a healthy and safe work environment.
• Home health nurses provide a range of nursing care, including administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and offering education to patients and their families for effective self-care.
• Faith community nurses work within a church or religious community to promote health, act as a resource for health needs, and support the community.

What Does a Community or Public Health Nurse Do?

Whichever title they go by, these clinicians focus on wellness at the population scale. Their daily tasks are oriented around promoting health through education, planning programs, and following up on health initiatives

These are some examples of community health nursing tasks:

• Administering immunizations
• Running health education programs
• Collecting health data on a group or population
• Screening employees for work-related health problems
• Conducting home health assessments
• Coordinating with community organizers to run events or programs
• Applying for government grant funding for community health initiatives
• Synthesizing data after a community health intervention
• Educating the public on health maintenance activities, and connecting them to resources

Where Do Community Health Nurses Work?

Community health nurses may work in several different settings, including:

• K–12 schools
• Universities
• Public health clinics
• Recuperative care facilities
• Home health agencies
• Government organizations
• Corporate health clinics
• Churches

Community Health Nurse Salary

The average salary in community health nursing is $71,277, but most fall between $64,427 and $79,112. Gaining experience and additional certifications are some of the best ways you can leverage a higher nursing income.

Pros and Cons of Community Health Nursing

Every role has advantages and drawbacks. Some of the potential challenges of working in community and public health nursing include:

• Administrative challenges, such as navigating bureaucracy, securing funding, and coordinating services.
• Variable work hours, since you may have to organize events around community members’ schedules.
• Navigating community politics while organizing and communicating with diverse populations.
• Limited resources, since many public health programs operate with constrained budgets and limited staff.

Still, there are some real benefits to working in this area. These include:

• Job satisfaction, since you can see the impact of your work on the community as a whole, not just individual patients.
• Ongoing patient relationships that offer a sense of community that you usually can’t get in acute care.
• A feeling of empowerment for nurses who provide health education. This role gives you the chance to play an essential role in improving wellness.
• Promoting holistic care, which allows you to address the social determinants of health, accounting for more health outcomes than clinical care.

How to Become a Community Health Nurse: 4 Steps

To enter this field, you’ll need a nursing degree and a license. If you’re not yet a nurse, this process could take up to four or five years. If you’re already a nurse, entering community health could take as little as a few months.

Step 1: Go to Nursing School

To pursue any nursing specialty as a registered nurse (RN), you’ll need to go to nursing school. Either an associate or bachelor’s degree qualifies you for the licensure exam, but a bachelor’s in nursing (BSN) may make you more competitive in the public health sphere. BSN classes include research and leadership skills, which are essential in community health.

Step 2: Pass the NCLEX

To be licensed, you’ll need to pass the National Council Licensure Exam for RNs (NCLEX-RN). This standardized test ensures that you’re ready to practice nursing as a new graduate nurse. When it comes to the NCLEX, preparation is key.

Step 3: Enter Community Health Nursing

Newly licensed nurses can enter community health by seeking employment opportunities in public health departments, community clinics, or organizations dedicated to population health. Many of these organizations offer entry-level positions, but if you’re looking for a more structured nurse residency program, consider gaining experience in acute care first.

Step 4: Continuing Education

As a nurse, you’ll keep gaining skills and knowledge throughout your career. One of the best ways to deepen your confidence in public health is through a certification or continuing competency program. Some of the leading organizations in public health nursing include:

• Association of Public Health Nurses, offering the Certification in Public Health (CPH)
• National Board of Certification for School Nurses, which offers the Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) certification
• Rural Nurse Organization (RNO)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (CPHNO)

Learn About Nursing Roles in Your Community

Whether you’re looking to practice as a community health nurse or within another nursing specialty, we have roles for you. Sign up for nurse job notifications from IntelyCare to get roles right in your inbox.