Community Health Nurse Career Overview

Community health nurses must be adaptable since they work in various communities outside of the traditional hospital setting. They may, for instance, conduct blood pressure tests in a shopping mall, provide emergency planning in a church, or pass out sex education materials on a college campus. They also coordinate with healthcare teams. Below lists some common responsibilities for community health nurses:

Vulnerable communities with disproportionate medical resources need community health nurses. The following workplaces typically benefit from the expertise of community health nurses.

At clinics, community health nurses may provide immunizations, offer family planning counseling, or create healthy living campaigns.

At shelters, community health nurses may focus on preventative care through screenings and assessments. They also help people find assistance through social services.

Community health nurses help individuals with physical or mental disabilities with their daily care. Part of the job includes teaching family members how to care for their loved ones.

Becoming a community health nurse offers a chance to work directly in at-risk communities to promote good health and wellness. They help manage educational campaigns to prevent disease and illness and enjoy more flexible schedules since they often do not work weekends.

The job offers many rewards, but it also has some drawbacks. Though working in nonhospital settings provides some freedom, it can also mean less opportunity to consult with healthcare staff. Additionally, healthcare progress can be slower on a community-wide scale. Read below to find out more about community health nursing’s pros and cons.

Community nursing differs from hospital nursing in various ways, such as work/life balance and interaction with patients or clients. Read on for further differences.

Educational level, experience, work setting, and geographical location all influence salaries for community health nurse jobs, as reflected in community health nurses’ wide salary range. According to PayScale, community health nurses earn on average between $39,000-$84,000 annually.

The national nursing shortage, exacerbated by the pandemic, will continue to fuel a 7% job growth rate through 2029. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employers to add 221,900 RN positions from 2019-2029. On an international scale, an article in British Medical Journal Global Health reports that employers need community health workers, including nurses, especially in poorer countries disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus.

Community health worker programs particularly need nurses trained in preventing and controlling infectious diseases to deliver home-based care to low-income people affected by COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Community health nurses spend 4-6 years completing their education and training. At a minimum, they must spend two years earning an associate degree in nursing or four years earning their BSN degree. But some also complete a two-year master’s in nursing. Employers often prefer community health nurses who have 1-2 years of nursing experience.

No. Community health nurses do not prescribe medication. To prescribe medication, nurses need to get a nurse practitioner license. In some states, practitioners can only prescribe medications under a physician’s direction.

Both community health nurses and public health nurses educate the public to promote health and wellness. They may work together to develop health education programs. However, public health nurses might work more directly with policymakers, whereas community health nurses implement policy on the ground level to help address health disparities.

Addressing disparities in healthcare remains the key role of community health nurses. They work to create educational campaigns and community health programs such as mass immunizations. Their role also includes distributing healthcare materials, such as masks.