The demographics, training, and job functions of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps nursing workforce

Background

There is a need for better public health nursing (PHN) workforce measurement approaches that focus on their functions and activities as well as a need for more data inclusive of PHNs at the federal level.

Purpose

For this cross-sectional study, we conducted an online survey with nurse officers in the U.S. Public Health Service to describe the demographics and experience of this workforce and to test job function and activity questions.

Methods

We conducted descriptive analyses to characterize the full sample (N = 565). We also stratified the sample into “primarily nonclinical” and “primarily clinical” nurses and compared their responses to function and activity questions.

Discussion

Our findings describe a highly educated and diverse UPSHS nursing workforce with wide-ranging responsibilities. Respondents indicated the function and activity questions that accurately described their work, with most reporting Health Promotion and Protection functions (48.7%). Compared with primarily clinical respondents, more primarily nonclinical respondents reported Policy and Advocacy (24.1% vs. 12.2%), Enforcing Laws and Regulations (22.5% vs. 11.2%), and Research (26.0% vs. 16.8%) functions.

Conclusion

Findings highlight potential opportunities to learn from the USPHS nursing workforce about ways to grow a more diverse nursing workforce and emphasize the utility of function and activity questions in nursing workforce assessments for gaining a deeper understanding of PHNs’ roles.