The Career Outlook of a Public Health Nurse With an MSN Degree

If you have a master’s degree in nursing, there are so many nursing careers available for you to choose from today. Outside of the typical nursing jobs in hospitals or doctor’s offices, you can find a rewarding career in public health nursing working closely with people in your community.

Follow along if you’re interested in this field and want to learn about how online nursing schools make it more convenient than ever to earn your MSN degree.

How Public Health Nurses Make a Difference

According to the Association of Public Health Nurses, the public health professionals in this field work to promote and protect the health of communities using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences.¹ The focus of public health nurses is on population health, with the goal of promoting health and preventing disease and disability. Those with public health nursing jobs make up the largest segment of the professional public health workforce and serve in many different critical roles.

Within communities, public health nurses work with individuals and families in a range of settings including health departments, schools, homes, community health centers, clinics, correctional facilities, work sites, and mobile health services. This includes caring for community members of all ages, from young children to teens to adults. Nurses with public health careers require a unique combination of clinical knowledge and community relationships to create the programs and policies needed to address the health concerns about vulnerable populations.

Public health nurses perform key services and tasks within communities, including providing education on preventative medicine, hygiene, and care; treating patients in public health clinics; working with youth in schools and community centers; and organizing and implementing courses and training within hospitals.

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not gather job data specifically on public health nurses, it’s estimated that public health nursing jobs in the United States pay an average annual salary of $58,277. Entry-level public health nurses earn about $50,273 while experienced public health nurses can expect to earn $63,432. In places such as the District of Columbia, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, public health nursing salaries are above the national average.²

Earn Your Master’s in Nursing Online

If you’ve already completed your bachelor’s degree in nursing school and are ready to take your education and career to the next level, look no further than Walden University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Public Health Nursing program. Great nurses with an MSN degree are in high demand within a wide range of nursing careers, and Walden can prepare you for the transition from RN to MSN.

If you’re ready to make a difference in communities, specializing in public health nursing gives you the skills and training you need to help reduce healthcare barriers and health disparities to improve health outcomes for entire communities. Walden gives you the flexibility offered by online nursing school, with online classes taught by faculty who hold doctoral degrees.

With a master’s degree in nursing from Walden, you’ll complete the graduate degree requirements you need to pursue Advanced Public Health Nursing (APHN-BC) certification and qualify for the rewarding public health nursing job you’ve been waiting for. Find out more today about how you can begin your journey toward earning your MSN degree.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Public Health Nursing degree program. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

¹Source: www.phnurse.org/What-is-Public-Health 
²Source: https://nursejournal.org/public-health-nursing/public-health-nurse-careers-salary-outlook/

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.