Public Health refers to the health of overall population. It focuses on the prevention of spreading diseases among the people in a community. Public Health Nurses are the registered nurses working in the field of public health. They will implement various health programs to educate the public about nutrition, immunization, disease prevention and child care. They are responsible for setting up blood pressure and cholesterol testing sites, immunization clinics and other clinics for different health tests. Their duties include the identification of common health issue prevailing in a community and find a solution to eradicate it.

Qualifying Exam

Public health nurse should possess diploma or bachelor’s degree in nursing. General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) is the diploma course available in India.

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Nursing is the bachelor’s degree available in India.

Candidates who possess any one of these qualifications can practice as a public health nurse in any clinic. Public health nurse can also do Master’s degree in nursing as an additional qualification.

Who are eligible to apply?

Candidates who aspire to do nursing course should pass plus two with the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Biology. They can apply for either diploma or Bachelor’s degree course in any nursing college approved by Indian Nursing Council after plus two. In some colleges there may be entrance test for getting admission to nursing courses. In that case candidate should also qualify the entrance test to get admission to any nursing course. If the candidates wish to do Master’s degree in nursing, then they should complete their undergraduate course and qualify the corresponding entrance test.

Key elements in the process

• Pass plus two with the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Biology
• Obtain Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in nursing
• Obtain Master’s degree in nursing (optional)
• Apply for the job

Skills required for a Public Health Nurse

As the public health nurse work among the public, they should develop good interpersonal skills. They should be able to work with the people having different cultures. They should keep good working relationships with their colleagues. They should maintain confidentiality in their services. They should be able to handle the pressure of the work. They should possess good oral skills and writing skills. Excellent problem solving skills are needed for a public health nurse. They should be able to make independent judgments.