Advanced practice role characteristics of the community/public health nurse specialist.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the advanced practice role of nurses with master's degrees in community/public health nursing using their experiences and perspectives. The purposive sample consisted of 10 nurses who had master's degrees in community/public health nursing and were working in a variety of community health settings. Data were collected using audiotaped interviews and 1-day observations of study participants in their workplaces. An editing analysis technique was used to analyze the data. Findings indicated that role characteristics included advocacy and policy setting at the organizational, community, and state levels; a leadership style centered on empowerment; a broad sphere of influence; and high-level skills in large-scale program planning, project management, and building partnerships. Results provide important descriptive data about significant aspects of the advanced practice role of nurses with master's degrees in community/public health nursing.