Researchers: Yafa Haron¹, Miriam Honovizt¹, Sarit Rahmani¹, Liora Shahar¹, Batya Majar¹

Background: Public Health Nurses (PHNs) currently face a range of professional challenges due to new health issues, increased public awareness of health rights including participation in policymaking, and the impetus for equality in health indicators among various populations.The extent and variety of practice areas currently included in the PHN role requires skilled and professional staff to meet its expanding scope.

Objectives: Provide a detailed, up-to-date account of the current PHN job description and practice areas.
Map community needs and required services that can be provided by nurses with clinical practice training in public health.

Method: The design is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research. In the qualitative part, data was collected by interviewing stakeholders, including health providers and policymakers, about the required community services PHNs woulds provide. In addition, PHN focus groups discussed role development, required training and scope expansion. A national structured survey of PHNs (n=824) represents the quantitative part.
Descriptive and inferential statistics are reported using SPSS. Qualitative findings are based on content analysis and theme categorization.

Findings: A country wide sample of PHNs identified areas of practice in which further training may be required.

Recommendations: The study is the first to focus on Israeli PHNs' practice areas and activities. It will inform policymakers on the professional activities to which patients are entitled and which PHNs can perform; on the current scope of PHN work; and future service requirements. Analyzing the current versus desirable situation provide policymakers and other stakeholders with comprehensive and up-to-date information as a basis for developing clinical public health nursing expertise and the scope of services expected of PHNs in an era of health system.

Research end date: 02/2017