IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v7y2010i3p729-750d7232.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Recent Developments in Public Health Nursing in the Americas

Author

Listed:
  • Gustavo Nigenda

    (National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública), Avenida Universidad No. 655, Colonia Santa María Ahuacatitlan, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México)

  • Laura Magaña-Valladares

    (National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública), Avenida Universidad No. 655, Colonia Santa María Ahuacatitlan, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México)

  • Kelly Cooper

    (National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública), Avenida Universidad No. 655, Colonia Santa María Ahuacatitlan, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México)

  • Jose Arturo Ruiz-Larios

    (National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública), Avenida Universidad No. 655, Colonia Santa María Ahuacatitlan, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México)

Abstract

This study presents an assessment of the participation and training of nurses in public health areas in the Americas. Information was gathered through a literature review and interviews with key informants from Mexico, Colombia, and Paraguay. Results demonstrate that there is significant variation in definitions of public health nursing across the region and current systematized data about the workforce profile of public health nursing personnel is not available for many countries in the Americas. There are significant regional differences in the levels and types of training of nurses working in public health areas and an increasing number of nurses are pursuing training in public health at the master’s and doctoral levels. Many nurses carry out some or all of the essential functions of public health, but are not considered to be public health nurses. Generally, auxiliary and technical nurses have a broader presence in public health areas than professional nurses. In the future, regional health systems reforms should support increased recruitment and training of public health nurses, as well as stronger roles in public health research and health care at the individual, community, and population levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Gustavo Nigenda & Laura Magaña-Valladares & Kelly Cooper & Jose Arturo Ruiz-Larios, 2010. "Recent Developments in Public Health Nursing in the Americas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-22, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:7:y:2010:i:3:p:729-750:d:7232
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/7/3/729/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/7/3/729/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gebbie, K.M. & Hwang, I., 2000. "Preparing currently employed public health nurses for changes in the health system," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 90(5), pages 716-721.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:7:y:2010:i:3:p:729-750:d:7232. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.