Abstract
This study presents an assessment of the participation and training of nurses in public health areas in the Americas. Information was gathered through a literature review and interviews with key informants from Mexico, Colombia, and Paraguay. Results demonstrate that there is significant variation in definitions of public health nursing across the region and current systematized data about the workforce profile of public health nursing personnel is not available for many countries in the Americas. There are significant regional differences in the levels and types of training of nurses working in public health areas and an increasing number of nurses are pursuing training in public health at the master’s and doctoral levels. Many nurses carry out some or all of the essential functions of public health, but are not considered to be public health nurses. Generally, auxiliary and technical nurses have a broader presence in public health areas than professional nurses. In the future, regional health systems reforms should support increased recruitment and training of public health nurses, as well as stronger roles in public health research and health care at the individual, community, and population levels.
Highlights
Public health nurses play important roles in health promotion and disease prevention and control at the community and population levels
Public health nursing is a specialized field within the nursing profession because it is population-focused, as practitioners often work with community members who are not in hospitals or other health care institutions, and community-focused, as practitioners focus on the relationship between population health and the environment—which includes physical, biological, and socio-cultural factors—in order to meet public health needs [1]
To complement the information gathered through the literature review, interviews were performed with nurses who have undertaken leadership roles in public health activities in Mexico, Colombia, and Paraguay, in order to understand the situation of public health nursing in those countries
Summary
Public health nurses play important roles in health promotion and disease prevention and control at the community and population levels. Nursing job responsibilities are often publicly perceived to be limited to direct patient care, public health nurses make substantial contributions to population health on a daily basis through their participation in patient education, disease surveillance, and public health campaigns. These contributions to public health are especially important in light of recent demographic and epidemiological shifts, health sector reforms, and health workforce changes across the Americas. Public health experts focus on different specific aspects of the concept In his definition of public health, Terris highlights community participation but does not explicitly include the participation of governmental institutions [11]. PAHO considers the role of governmental institutions in the achievement of better health conditions of populations through health promotion, disease prevention, the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, and rehabilitation [13]
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