The Demographics, Training, and Job Functions of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Nursing Workforce


Description:

The public health nursing (PHN) workforce is experiencing a significant decline, yet current measurement methods often fail to capture its full scope. There is a need to develop a more accurate measurement approach which identifies PHNs according to their functions, rather than their setting alone. This is particularly needed at the federal level, as few studies have focused on this part of the PHN workforce. As such, this study aimed to describe the federal PHN workforce in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps (“PHS nurse officers”) and to test the accuracy of job function and activity questions for measuring the PHN workforce. This study was funded through The Consortium for Workforce Research in Public Health (CWORPH) housed at the University of Minnesota, which is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Publication under review.

Lead Researchers: Paula Kett, PhD, MPH, RN & Betty Bekemeier, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN

Contact Info: pmk@uw.edu & bettybek@uw.edu

 

Funder:

The Consortium for Workforce Research in Public Health (CWORPH) housed at the University of Minnesota, supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

 

Status:

Complete

 

Publications/Presentations

Authors Title Type Date Documents/Media
Kett PM, Bekemeier B Evaluating a Minimum Data Set to Characterize the Public Health Nursing Workforce PRESENTATION 01-21-2025 Media