Rebuilding Community-Based and Public Health Nursing in the Wake of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has reset the table for a dialogue about health equity, public health, and the future of nursing. Experts anticipated that payment reforms would lead to a much-needed increase in community and public health nursing. Despite calls for the profession of nursing to take a leadership role in addressing the social determinants of health and health equity, data show that jobs for nurses in community-based clinics and public health have actually declined in the last decade. This article offers background on the ongoing decline in public health infrastructure in the United States, an analysis of workforce data on nursing jobs using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses from the years 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2018, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials from 2008 to 2019, as well as a discussion of why these findings are so troubling. We discuss policy implications for nurse educators related to curricula and clinical experiences, and for professional nursing organizations as they set goals to increase and improve nursing jobs in community clinics and public health settings. In conclusion, we note that the federal investments in community health centers and public health nursing provide a short window of opportunity to reverse the historic and ongoing decline and rebuild a stronger community and public health nurse workforce.