Public health nursing is defined as the practice of promoting and protecting the health of populations using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences (American Public Health Association, Public Health Nursing Section, p.1, 1996). In addition to the generic competencies required for registered nurses, discipline specific competencies for public health nurses (PHNs) are those vital for fulfilling the professional roles and standards required of this nursing specialty. They are defined here as the essential knowledge, skills, judgment, attitudes, values and beliefs for safe and ethical practice in this specialty.
