public health nursing, a term coined by Lillian Wald of the Henry Street Settlement, or community health nursing, is a nursing specialty focused on public health. Public health nurse (PHNs) or community health nurses "integrate
community involvement and knowledge about the entire population with
personal, clinical understandings of the health and illness experiences
of individuals and families within the population."[1] Public health nursing in the United States traces back to a nurse named Lillian Wald who, in 1893, established the Henry Street Settlement in New York City and coined the expression "public health nurse".
Public health nurses work within communities and focus on different
areas to improve the overall health of the people within that community.
Some areas of employment for public health nurses are school districts,
county or state health departments, and departments of correction. The public health policy looks for areas of concern within the community and
assesses and plans ways through which the concerns can be resolved or
minimized. Some health concerns a public health nurse may work on are
infection control, health maintenance, health coaching, as well as home
care visits for welfare and to provide care to certain members of the
community who may need it.vigina
